Dye the Path Blue
by sparklypiggy
Summary: Redone. Such wonders one could never see in a world such as our own. These three are a caravan, and together, they will manage, if they can get around personal issues, outside influences, and a lot of chaos that's not necessarily fair. But IS it ever fair
1. Prelude

Dye the Path Blue

.Prelude.

_She took a deep breath and turned around nervously, her hands moving to her hips. "Well, you guys, do you think any one of us is prepared?" Krisni and Korrin looked at one another, doubt obvious._

'::.t.::'

A young woman shook under her covers, her expression dour and her teeth clenched shut tightly. She sat up quickly, her eyes wide open. Almost automatically she turned to face the window right beside her, opening it and allowing a cool breeze to waft across her reddened face. Taking a deep breath, the young woman smiled. She seemed to be a light-hearted, gentle being, which was saying much when comparing her to the untamed and frightened creature tangled in the bedsheets moments before. "It's not even sunrise yet." The words slipped through her lips into the dense morning air. The rest of the world seemed frozen in its place as a slightly dazed expression crossed her face. Suddenly, her neck snapped up, a giant grin taking the place of the thoughtless frown that had managed its way onto her face. She jumped up out of bed and began singing.

"Oh, I once saw birds and fairies, but now it's gryffons and unicorns..." she began in an off-key tone. Her outfit for the day was dangling from her arm. She stopped singing when quietly creeping through the house, though resumed humming the unknown tune after walking outside to the creek that ran just by her home. She took a bath in the icy water, her interest in singing dying away as the sun rose. Enraptured by the beautiful sunrise, she continued to smile as she dressed, her cheeks rosy from the cold.

Returning inside, she found her family beginning their morning as they usually did. As she walked past the twins she ruffled her brother's hair affectionately. Pouting pitifully, the boy quickly brought out his home-made slingshot and sent a rather mushy piece of striped apple flying after her. Without looking back, she caught the piece before it even came near her. "Ha, gotcha," she said, fighting a giggle as she kissed her mother on the cheek. Her mother was stirring a rather large pot of warm-smelling oatmeal with a smile on her face. Without skipping a beat, the young woman threw the chunk of apple back at her siblings as her mother began to inform her of the day's plans.

"Today's the big day, dear," her mother said with love in her voice. Her mother began arranging little pieces of fruit in intricate patterns on the oatmeal as she continued. "So much is going to change. I mean, you've known these children all your life, and now you're all big enough to leave! Only some of you, too, I mean, the usual four. It's all so sad, dear, I just can't believe it." Her mother was in near tears already, though her small speech was one of caring, not worry. The young woman turned around to face her mother, a warm and comforting smile on her face.

"Don't worry, Mom," she said, "I'll be fine. If I'm not chosen, I can help defend the village, right? And if I am, well..." The young woman puzzled over this for but a moment. "Then that's what it's meant to be. Every bird has to take off in one way or another," she decided, nodding.

Her mother's quivering lip, quite like the one seen shortly before on her younger brother, was a symptom of the inevitable, and the inevitable showed itself right then and there. Her mother flew at her, arms extended, and sobbed into her oldest daughter's chest.

The young woman gave her mother a small pat, feebly if not awkwardly, and regained her personal space. Her mother wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and offered the oatmeal, stating, "Here's your breakfast, dear. I hope all will be well, but please don't talk about birds flying off, it makes me terribly upset." The young woman smiled. Though her mother was part of a farming family, she spoke as if she was still living in the city instead of the mixed town they lived in now.

"Don't worry, Mom, I'll be alright," she repeated after a warm breakfast and a family exchange of hugs. Her mother mopped her eyes and her father came to stand in the doorway as he waved goodbye. "I'm heading to Maru's!" she yelled to them as she waved. Her father nodded and guided her mother back inside the house.

_You did it, Jade, _she thought absently to herself. _You made it out of there without crying yourself, or making anyone more upset than they would normally get. Now, I need to go wake up the Sleeping One..._

It wasn't tradition alone that guided her to the Sleeping One's lair. It was quite fun, too, and kept her thinking realistically, a little at least. Besides, when she came back alive after a trip to his lair, everyone seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. Yes, that was how utterly horrifying this creature was in the morning. Truth be told, Jade didn't really feel any fear any time she approached his window. It was actually a very peaceful feeling, routine, though she often hated it beyond all other things. Like she had said to her mother, she believed there was a time for everyone to break off and go on their own in one way or another. Jade felt her time was long overdue. There was a restless feeling inside her normally peaceful and kind mind, something that just kept asking for more when she broke away from the little things she used to do.

She wanted freedom badly and wasn't quite sure why. The symptoms were obvious: at times, she gazed longingly at the crystal in the middle of the town, or she would start running with no intention of going anywhere. She felt like this only every so often, and in the most random spasms. Sometimes she wondered if anyone else felt trapped, too.

Jade had already grabbed a bucket from her windowsill. She was torn away from her odd gazing off in the distance by a drop of cool water hitting her face. She had been walking very, very slowly and hadn't even realized she had arrived. Blinking rapidly, she smiled and wiped the stray drop of water away, shaking her head. She leaned down into the icy cold stream she had bathed in not too long ago, scooping up a large amount of water. She stuck her finger into it and felt exactly how cold it was. With a smirk that only appeared when dealing with this particular beast, she turned and walked back into the center of town.

:O0o.o0O:

Trywn was the next to wake up in the village. With a cry, he sat up quickly in his bed, throwing the covers aside and dashing to his closet. After a few seconds of sifting through his clothes, he thew on the outfit he knew would most fit the tricky situation he would soon be in. He flew down the stairs, stopping only to give his little sister a hug. After this he continued out the door, unsure exactly of where he was going.

As always, his legs seemed to have guided him correctly. He was running up a cliff, up and up as his muscles ached. Though he did this at least every once in awhile, bright and early in the morning wasn't usually when it occurred. Huffing and panting, he reached the top and was quickly rewarded for his strenuous efforts. The sky seemed to slowly go from the dull greyish purple of distant miasma to a warm and friendly orange, then a calming and endearing yellow, and next thing he knew, the whole sky was lit and what little magic that had been there was gone.

Trywn seemed troubled by this. _No magic? _he thought, _Is that an omen? It can't be, I'm sure of it. Whatever's gonna happen will happen the way it's supposed to. I know it. _Collapsing onto the ground, the adolescent leaned back on his arms and simply stared out into the distant sea. Every so often he would ponder exactly what was out there and why it was him looking upon it, often getting very caught up in the moment. Trywn was the type of person who liked to examine things over and over again until it became annoying to think about them. Understandably, there was a lot of territory uncovered in his thoughts, which sometimes led people to believe he was empty-headed, or obsessed with certain things. But Trywn knew better.

All Trywn's friends seemed to know better, too, or some of them at least. Jade listened carefully and patiently to everything he said, a smile always on her face and her soft or silly comments often adding more to the conversation. That was the thing he most liked about Jade. She would listen to him and understand him. His other friends were fun to be around, but never seemed to understand what a deep person he saw himself to be. He still loved them for themselves, but he felt no one knew him as Jade did. She was one of the topics he had never dared to think about, though, which he, unadmittedly, knew would cause problems later. But it wasn't later yet, so he felt no urgent need.

He continued to stare out at the sunrise, feeling disturbed and warmed at the same time. When the idea of a new caravan was presented just a few months ago, Trywn completely panicked, fleeing from the meeting and all thoughts of parting. He had learned to accept the change, his fate, over time. He felt things were going to be alright. Automatically the less sensible part of him insisted that meant Jade wasn't leaving, and for some reason that thought had a different tone than the one of acceptance. He pushed this away, too, without completely realizing it. His fear was driving him to not think about quite a bit of things.

Trywn got up, his legs stiff and back aching. His stomach growled at him now that it had the chance, causing a tremor of laughter to shake him. He kept laughing and laughing, not quite sure if it was just the abnormal-sounding squeal that caused him such humor. _Irony, _the back of his mind insisted,_ irony_. This was one of the thoughts that wasn't completely thought out by him. If anyone had overheard that thought and repeated to him, he would not have realized he had thought it. Often the little voices in the back of his mind presented completely correct, even if he himself did not realize it.

After awhile he quieted, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. He pivoted, fisted hands on hips as he examined the long, winding, steep plane before him. With a smile that would inspire any watching person, he extended his arms and flew down the slope, laughing and turning the entire way down.

mrnmrnm

The Yuke's senses were tingling before he even gained his sight. With a groan, he rolled over, not wanting a single bit to look out the window and find out what time it was. He thought bitterly, _Who cares about the chalice choosing and all of my friends? _His thoughts paused. _Alright, so maybe I do, _he countered himself bitterly, _but that doesn't mean I have to get up. _He was swiftly proven wrong.

"Big brother, big brother Korrin!" said a squeaky voice from a few feet below him. Though very vivid words were floating through his mind at the moment, he stared silently into his pillow, begging himself not to answer. "Yes?" Too late. The squeaky voice gave an even squeakier little cry. The sound of small Yukish feet bouncing around- a sound that compared to a thousand tons of rocks raining down from the heavens, he grumbled inwardly- caused him to stir, but soon he was doing a little more than stirring. Little Yukish hands clasped the hammock of the poor Korrin, sending him toppling to the ground. The little Yuke clapped gleefully, somehow having avoided the rather nasty spill that had just taken place. Now Korrin was anything but silent.

A scream, one of pure terror, rang throughout the house.

"I SWEAR I'LL GET YOU, BRAT, AND HOW IT ENDS WON'T BE PLEASANT!" The two turned a corner and the little one screamed again.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! MUMMY, DADDY, KORRIN'S GONE MAD! I DIDN'T EVEN DO ANYTHIIIIIING!" The satisfactory air Korrin had caught a glimpse of within his brother was completely gone, replaced by one that would convince any parent in an instant that something had gone wrong. Korrin, knowing what would become of him, slowed to a stop. He looked down at his own feet, partly ashamed, partly simmering. He sighed deeply and returned to his room, where he prepared himself quite easily for the day.

Korrin walked into the kitchen, stretching and yawning quite loudly. His father, cooking something indistinguishable on the stove, turned to face him and waved. "Today's the big day, Kor!" he said encouragingly, giving his son a pat on the shoulder. Korrin managed a smile, sitting down beside his older brother. The older Yuke was busy working on some alchemaic formula. Since their father had given up most of his work, the eldest was forced to take over, but he hadn't complained much. Korrin wasn't bothered by the fact, either, and the youngest was simply too young to understand.

Setting a bowl down before Korrin, the Yuke's father sat across from the two brothers, his arms folded on the table. Korrin quietly ate and his older brother continued to work as if nothing were happening. "Where's Mom?" Korrin asked after awhile, setting his utensil down. "She's upstairs," his father responded quietly. There was a short and heavy silence. Just as Korrin was going to ask another question, his father repeated in an excited tone, "Well, today's the big day, Kor! Four of you will be leaving. Can you believe it?" Korrin simply nodded, sipping at the soupy content of his bowl. Another silence occured and his father got up, sighing deeply. "Alright, I'll leave you alone. There's a lot to do today for you, Korrin, and I hope it all turns out well."

His father left the room and it was just Korrin and his older brother. Suddenly, the scratching of the pen stopped, and the only sound in the room was Korrin's slight slurps. His brother spoke in a gruff but caring voice. "Things will change." Korrin's hands were still. "Mother will miss you, you know," he continued, every word burning Korrin's very thoughts, "You've always been her favorite. The brat, he's too obnoxious and conniving. He has an unknown evil in him and I think she sees that." His brother chuckled without humor. "And me? I'm a bastard, that's what I am." His brother stopped. "I wish you luck in your travels." Korrin's slightly higher-toned voice caused a drastic change of atmosphere when he responded. "I'm not going, I feel it. I'm not the type of person the crystal would see as fit." Korrin's brother shook his head in such a way it seemed to end all doubts. "You will." _He sounds so sure... _That was the end of the conversation.

A smiling face soon bopped into the room, practically skipping as it did so. Korrin stared bitterly at the happy child. Suddenly, his younger brother turned to him and smiled widely. "I'ma gonna play with Mister Maru today. He's teaching me how to make a net!" With that, the little body skipped off. _Mister Maru this, Mister Maru that,_ Korrin thought mockingly, standing. It was an odd sort of hero complex, even if Maru wasn't the best role model.

After washing his dishes, Korrin walked outside, into the fresh air. To his great surprise, the sun had barely risen. The world was still slightly grey. _I wonder what I should do. I doubt anyone's up this early except maybe Jade, but she's probably with her family. I'll leave her alone. I guess I could just explore a bit. _ The Yuke began to walk around the village, searching and wandering at the same time. He wanted to see Jade so badly, or any of his friends really, for some sort of stability and comfort. Korrin knew that any sort of unity would be gone in the very near future. _When they all leave me. _His brother's words immediatly came to mind after he began that thought. Korrin shivered. _He's never carried out any sort of conversation with me... I wonder what's up. Maybe..._ _Does he really think I'll be leaving him?_

Korrin looked up into the sky, not sure of what the right thing to think would be. _My life is going to take a sharp turn_, he pondered while staring at the cloudless expanse._ It's all going to change now, but I suppose that's what everyone else is thinking. I shouldn't be worrying about it. Whatever happens is meant to happen, and I will find happiness. I know I will. _Korrin's eyes traveled back to the ground after these thoughts. _Why do all the poets talk about love, fate, and happiness so much?_ he thought for a moment. _It's not that hard to find if you know what you're doing_.

He was right and terribly, terribly wrong.

wvvwvvw

Little yellow birds were tapping at her windowsill, though their combined tapping was making a very loud racket. The female Shark Eye Selkie sat up, scowling, and threw open the window before they could make another tap. Her arms still suspended in the air, she blinked with confusion. All the birdies flew onto her arms.

"Ow..."

The adorable yellow creatures peeped at her, hopping along her arms, picking at her hair, and generally having a good time. Deti Ona's face showed obvious puzzle. _Should I scream in pain or giggle at the utter cuteness?_ This decision was quickly made for her. The birds flew up and over her head, perching on various places in her room. She slid back the covers and let her feet touch the cool ground. Repressing a grin, she searched her closet until she found her clothing for the day. She pulled it on, tieing knots and making sure certain parts were covered, and glanced at herself in the mirror. She looked ready for the day, so she went by that. As she walked through her house, she began thinking.

Today's a happy day, she told herself. _Today I get to get rid of someone! _Deti Ona seemed to have something against each and every one of her peers in Shatsu. She wanted Jade away because she was a distraction to Trywn. There was Maru, her neighbor, who by being cruel and heartless never treated her with respect she deserved. Krisni was another, a creepy Lilty who never seemed to speak and treated Deti Ona as if she were invisible or even from another world. Korrin she didn't really care for. And Trywn, Trywn she wanted to stay. If anyone was going to stay or go with her, she wanted it to be him, no questions asked.

Deti Ona walked straight through the kitchen, the living room, and her parent's room, outside to the cool and still dewy atmosphere. Automatically she turned to face the cliff, where she often awoke and watched the sunrise. She sighed. The yearning for peace and quiet was a habit she had to break. If she couldn't survive in a world of noise and people, there was no world she could live in.

Regardless of her choice to forget about the solace of the cliff, she continued to walk toward it. After walking a little bit up, though, she veered to the side and sat down on a stump. It was uncomfortable and pokey unlike the smooth rock she usually sat on, but she didn't really care. _A compromise. _Happy with herself, she began to absently pick at her fingers, leaning back and letting her eyes shut just a bit. _I'll tell Trywn, _she decided after a bit of thought, _I'll let him know how I feel. I will, but I can't now, not with her around. _Deti Ona's brow furrowed, a bit of air escaping her tightly closed lips. She allowed herself to relax and the suppressed air to be released, though that didn't help her troubled mind. Then an angel came down from heaven.

He zipped straight past her with a look that caused her heart to jump to her throat. The mere expression on his face was enough to cause her to wonder exactly what had become of him. He seemed so happy, and yet shallowly pondering something. The thought struck her: _He looks free._ She stared in awe after him, her fluttering heart screaming ten thousand different things she could do besides goggling at him like a fool. Not taking any one of the suggestions, she stood up, staring down after him as he began to descend the rather long trail. She could still see him clearly when he reached flat ground and tumbled, causing a trail of dirt to fly up behind him. She gasped, putting her hands over her mouth. She took two or three tentative steps without realizing it toward him, then took off in a run after watching him laugh. He seemed to be laughing a little _too _hard.

He was sitting quietly in the dust when she reached him. Panting and slowing to a stop, she looked at him, her arms dropping to her sides. After a few moments he glanced over at her as if just noticing she was there. He gave her an uneasy smile for reasons she didn't know. She felt her face flush very quickly and she gave him a small smile in return. "You alright?" she asked, still trying to regain her breath. Trywn stood up, dusting himself off and walking over. "What're you doing here this early in the morning? Shouldn't you be preparing for the crystal ceremony?" he asked conversationally, skillfully trying to lead her away from the topic at hand. However, Deti Ona was not_ that _infatuated and realized his move, though went ahead and changed the topic for his sake after giving him a little look.

"I could ask you the same question," she countered gently, slipping her thumbs into the back of her skirt. She absently began to rock back and forth on her heels, biting her lip. The silence stretched on, but Trywn didn't seem bothered. He took off his cap and ran a hand through his sweating hair. There was an easy expression on his face, one very unlike the one she had seen beforehand. She suddenly stilled, clearing her throat. "I couldn't help but noticing you seem sorta... relieved. Are you ready to say goodbye yet?" He looked up at her, meeting her eyes very suddenly and startilingly. Without realizing it, she looked down, blushing. _Oh, no, they always say you can't meet someone in the eyes when you're hiding something..._

"Yeah," said his alto voice, "I think I am." Tentatively she looked up to find him staring elsewhere. She half-smiled. "This is... um, Trywn? Are we... friends?" Trywn, a bit surprised by this question, turned to look at her with his mouth slightly open. "Oh... um, yeah, actually. I know it's kinda surprising, since I hang out with other people a lot, but you are pretty close to me, aren't you?" Trywn laughed and Deti Ona blinked rapidly. _Did he just realize that or something?_

"I'm... glad to hear that. Uh, since, ya know, some of us will be leaving forever-" she began. "Changing forever," he corrected. "Yes, changing, do you think we could get to know each other a little better? I think it'd really be neat, if we are put in the same place I mean..." Her eyes were to the ground. Trywn turned from her, beginning to walk away, though within second his head turned to face her. "Yeah, that'd be cool. I'll see ya later, okay? I have to go talk to Jade." And he was off.

She stared after him, her moment of utter happiness partially ruined. _Jade? _Her mind squeaked, though she shook her head. _He'll see, he really will. He thinks he loves her now, but he doesn't. I'll just wait for the right time. Until then, friends it is._ The thought warmed her heart. _Friends. Close friends. Best friends, even. This is gonna be great..._

-o:..II..:o-

The soft crunch of footsteps was what first woke him up. His eyes shot open but quickly closed. As the footsteps neared his window, it was a strain to remain relaxed. The breathing and the smell immediatly alerted him of the worst: It was, indeed, Jade, and she was, indeed, carrying ice-cold water. He was used to all sorts of trickery, but even now he was inwardly panicking. This was always the least favorite part of his day, though he rarely awoke to witness it. _Which makes things ten times worse... I'll be conscious when she dumps it on me, even if I'm not really awake right now._

To his great surprise, he heard the water in the bucket gently slosh as it was set on the windowsill. He stayed frozen as she leaned over, flicking at his perfect hair as if it were an annoyance, and whispered but a foot away from his ear, "Time to get up, Maru. Today's the big day. I might even get rid of you, isn't that great?" The words seeped into his partially-asleep mind. Immediatly several answers surged forward and he began mumbling incoherently. She sighed huffily, leaning back. Obviously she had dealt with this before. _Oh Yevon, do I talk in my sleep...?_ Before this horrific thought could completely cross his mind or travel to his face, he was shocked out of it by a surge of freezing water pouring down onto his body.

He leapt up, cussing violently, then looked down at her from where he was standing on the bed. She was looking up at him with a slight amount of surprise on her face. Rubbing his eyes and speaking snippily he said, "What? What's wrong?" He looked down at himself just to make sure he had gone to bed clothed. He was in the usual pajamas, nothing new. He couldn't remember any provoking dreams, either, so what was she staring at?

She shook her head, a grimace on her face. "Nothing, idiot, you just reacted a lot this morning. You didn't have any dreams to be guilty of, did you?" A few seconds of silence passed. "Alright, you and I both already knew the answer to that, but don't blame me, it's morning." He folded his arms, his tone accusing. "Of course I can blame you, you do this every morning AND you woke up before me! You should be used to using sense by now, but I guess it's _you_ I'm dealing with..." With a dirty look her arm reeled back before he realized what was happening. His hands flew up to his forehead and eye and he promptly began his ravings again. He looked at her through the unhurt eye to see her watching him with a satisfied smirk.

"Good morning to you, too," she said as she strolled off. Still scowling, he scooped the bucket up off of the ground, sending it flying after her. After a few seconds he heard a, "What the- GO TO HELL, MARU!", and knew his target had been reached. He plopped back down upon his soaked bed, stretching his arms and legs with the usual tired slowness. His mouth was set in a grim, silent line, his thoughts only complaints about what had just happened. He got dressed after an unneeded bath and entered the kitchen. All was silent as he took a Striped Apple from a bowl on the counter, blowing off the dust before taking a bite. His father's muffled coughing could be heard from the other room and his mother could not be heard at all. Maru Set stared silently ate his apple as he slipped out the door, though as it was almost closed he could've sworn he saw two colorful figures zip past it.

The blacksmith's house was close to the giant crystal that protected the town of Shatsu. Maru usually chose to ignore the crystal for reasons of his own, but today with all that was going on, he couldn't help but let his eyes stray to the beautiful structure. It immediatly enraptured him, just as he feared, and he walked up to it and silently touched its cool surface. A quiver went through him and he immediatly removed his hand, though his eyes stayed glued to its sparkling faces. It winked at him when the sun finished rising.

Maru let his forehead touch the crystal, his eyes closed. Behind him the sounds of his household reminded him of the dream he had undergone just that night, and about every night for a week beforehand. His hand immediatly fisted and he punched the crystal without realizing what he had done. To his great surprise, his hand didn't completely feel the shock of the blow, and the crystal seemed unaffected. He backed up a few stumbling steps, staring at the thing. He looked it up and down until he finally whispered, "What is this? It's your fault, you know it is!" It stared back at him without showing any sign it had heard him. A ray of sunlight hit the side, though, and caused a brilliant blue beam of sunlight to shoot toward him. He stared at it for a second then turned and stalked off.

Maru admitted to himself, though rarely, that he had serious problems in his life. Regardless of his cool composure and smooth uncaring, he feared he was on the brink. He wasn't fully sure what he was on the brink of, but every mental condition sounded too extreme to fit his circumstances. Then again, his life was rather extreme. He wanted to be away from the house in its doomful intimidation and he wanted to stay away from everyone in it, including his older siblings. They had each other while he had no one. They seemed to have deflected whatever it was he had caught. Maru glanced back at the crystal rather quickly as he walked away. Its looming presence was enough to put him on edge.

After reaching the edge of the village, he stopped, staring into the spring that was part of the border to the outside world. He narrowed his eyes at the tranquil water, wondering exactly how it bubbled along without a care in the world. Truthfully, he hadn't put much thought into the caravan. He was too busy with his own life to worry about such a stupid thing. Now that Jade had mentioned something, though, he couldn't help but cringe at his foolishness. This would greatly affect him. He looked back at the center of the town, particularly at the tip of the crystal that he could barely see. It gave him a sort of calming reassurance now that he was away from his own house.

_It's all going to be alright, Maru,_ he thought blankly to himself, _If it says so, it will be so._ Maru's muddled mind hadn't realized he had referred to the crystal as a living being, just like his own mind did not recognize its depression. As he threw pebbles into the stream he did not realize he was being watched by two people he never would have suspected would be watching him. After a long time he began looking into the sky with such an expression the onlookers considered leaving. He silently wondered what would happen if he had to stay in this town the rest of his life and if he would do something drastic like he once did.

It was then he realized he was relying wholly on the crystal's choice and it's undying promise. He wasn't quite sure he liked the idea.

I!I!I!I!I!I!I

The Lilty woke up late. Very late. The sun was climbing the sky and she was still in her bedclothes. With a cry, she leapt out of bed, pulling on clothes as soon as she could find them. She threw on her special armor, having just enough time to spare a thought for breakfast. As she tumbled into the kitchen her mother offered her some already-prepared fruit and she ate it without thought. She swerved around to give her mother a hug and then rushed out the door.

As she ran outside, she stopped and held her breath. _It's not even that late! _her mind screamed. She looked down, unblinking, not sure what to think. Then it came upon her. _Oh, well._ The breath she was holding slipped free and she trudged back inside to grab her spear. Her mother and father were already out of the kitchen, probably taking care of her brother. Surpisingly relieved, she grabbed it and returned outside to spear some fish.

She stayed there for a very long time, thinking and rethinking what exactly was going to happen that day. _Too much_, she decided, _it's all going to be too much for one day, but they made it like that on purpose. I wonder why?_ Since she had been fishing since childhood, she was used to silence and time to think. She thought about all sorts of things depending on how she was feeling that day and had become rather wise by that point, in her own opinion anyway. Everyone else just found her creepy and all-knowing.

Krisni stopped thinking after awhile, concentrating on fishing and not thinking. This took a lot of effort, of course, and she soon decided to busy herself to avoid thoughts. Yes, she was desperate and yes, she was stubborn. She often half-smiled at her own quirky way of doing things and stopped to smell the roses at the most odd times. But that was just her, though no one knew it.

She glanced up at the sun again, frowning. _It's time._

qp.dIb.qp

"...you see, Jade, it's quite simple once you look at it. Some of them are immune to magic, some have really high defense, and some-"

"Korrin," said Jade in an oddly impatient tone, "I know this is all important to you, but does this have to happen now? It's kinda tense and you're not helping much." Korrin looked down to his feet, shuffling them. "Jade, you know I blabber when I'm nervous..."

She couldn't help but smile at him. She touched his hand comfortingly and his big fingers closed around hers. With a giggle, Jade pushed him gently away, running around him in a circle. "We're all nervous, Kor! C'mon, loosen up, we've gotta keep the good mood, otherwise we'll all melt from worrying or something." Korrin laughed and followed her by sight. "You're right, Jade, I should stop worrying. Everyone else'll-" "Jade! Korrin!" a voice called. Jade's eyes immediatly lit up and her voice upped a tone. "Trywn! Oh, I'm so glad you decided to join us!" Trywn hugged her heartily, chucking. "You knew I'd come, don't be silly." He broke away from her, looking around. "Where's everyone else this fine day?" Jade was about to speak until someone else answered for her.

"They refuse to get up off of their lazy asses. Either that or they're late." Maru pushed himself off the tree with only his shoulder, his folded arms falling to his sides. As Maru approached, Trywn's face hardened. Jade stayed very still, unsure of whether she should act as she did around Maru or around Trywn. Maru and Trywn faced each other, the expressions on their face mutual: _Why haven't I gotten rid of you yet? _"Nice to see you, too, Maru," Trywn said stiffly. The Selkie's arms were folded. "I can't say the same for you, Clavat," Maru hissed back. Jade stared down, kicking up a little cloud of dust with her feet.

The tense silence spoke of the current fight Maru and Trywn were in. Though they were never really on good terms, it was true that there were times they argued with more vigor and with purpose. This was one of those times. The silence broke, as Jade had guessed it would, and the two bitter voices began their ascent. "That's all you ever call me, Maru! Can't we just get along?! I'm tired of getting angry at the sight of you, and she- people get all weird around you!" Both Maru and Trywn glanced to Jade, who had stopped her dust drawing and was blushing at her shoes. Both assuming the look on her face meant 'unphased', they looked back at one another and continued.

"The sight of you, Clavat, is enough to send even one of your own dirt-digging kind running!"

"Well, I..."

Jade was quickly awoken from her little dust stick-person by a metallic nudge in her side. She quickly looked up, her expression jumping to life. As usual in these situations, it was Korrin's warm presence that greeted her. He gently took her arm and they walked away. They walked toward the crystal, chattering happily and excitedly. Jade knew this would probably be the last time they'd ever be able to talk like this and so she relished the feeling. As they were steps away from the large crowd gathered around the crystal, their companionship was broken once again.

"Heya, Jade!" Deti Ona's full voice said as she popped up in front of them. Jade's was barely able to surpress the gasp that had appeared in her throat. "Uh... hi." Jade felt Korrin begin to recede beside her, so she quickly steeled up. "Did you need something?" Deti Ona nodded. "Yeah, where's Trywn? I thought he would be with you, but-" Jade pointed directly behind her. "He's back there arguing with Maru," she said flatly. Deti Ona blinked. "Oh... he is? Well, I'll just go back there and see what I can do! Thanks!" The Selkie waved to Jade and Korrin and left.

Jade let out a giant breath. "Does she seem a little... excited to you?" Korrin chuckled and replied, "We all are, Jade." Jade looked down, sighing. "Well, I knew that, but... Oh, just nevermind. Let's get ready, okay?" Korrin nodded and the two began to push their way through the crowd. When they made it to the center, they found Krisni talking to ----, commonly known as the village elder. "Krisni!" Jade and Korrin shouted simultaneously. The Lilty turned to greet them, though Jade saw a frown beneath her blue armor. The elder chucked, taking his book and walking away to socialize amoungst the villagers, leaving the young adults to themselves.

"Where are the others? The ceremony is going to start soon," Krisni said as soon as they were within earshot. "What a nice greeting," Jade said with a wide smile. Korrin cleared his throat and said, "Maru and Trywn are arguing and Deti Ona is with them-" "...fawning over Trywn," Krisni finished for him, "and the three of us are here." Korrin nodded to affirm her statement and Jade gazed up at the crystal, using her hand to shield her eyes. She watched it quietly, its many faces glowing in the sunlight. She felt Korrin's eyes on her face and when she glanced down, Krisni was staring at Korrin. She took a deep breath and turned around nervously, her hands moving to her hips. "Well, you guys, do you think any one of us is prepared?" Krisni and Korrin looked at one another, doubt obvious.

Jade laughed. Korrin just _had_ to chuckle. Krisni could not resist just one, tiny smile.

oO.i.i.Oo

The elder was muttering something darkly as the crowd watched on in silence. Jade could feel her palms sweating, so she took a deep breath. She could feel Korrin beside her shaking like a leaf, but Krisni on her other side seemed composed and uncaring. She didn't know how Maru, Deti Ona, and Trywn were doing, but she didn't really care, except for the latter. As Jade had seen many times before, a blue ray of light, barely visible in the daylight, shot up and quickly consumed the crystal chalice. The moment it had appeared it seemed to have vanished, leaving their fate behind it.

The old man took the chalice in his hands, setting down the book he carried for such ceremonies. He looked down at the chalice's base and cleared his throat. "Korrin of Shella, step forth." Korrin, breathing a gigantic sigh of relief, stepped up and shook the elder's hand, quietly standing beside the crystal. The elder nodded to him and continued. "Jade of... Jade, please come here." The curious introduction caused a slight tremor to travel through the crowd, but Jade walked up, excited, and stood closely beside her best friend.

Jade knew she wasn't ready to hear the elder's voice again. In her unease, she slipped her hand into Korrin's large, feathery one. He gently squeezed it and she at once felt safe. But nothing could prepare her for what came next. "Maru of Alfitaria, step forward." Jade's jaw dropped. Trywn let out a frustrated growl. Korrin's shoulders and self-confidence dropped. Maru merely stepped forth to stand with the other two.

_At least there'll be a fourth, _was the saving hope for a few people. But when the elder handed the chalice to Maru, took his book, and walked away, even that hope was lost.

eeoeoeoee

"But there are always four people, Trywn!" Jade said as she buried her face in his shoulder. He quietly shushed her. "C'mon, Jade, you're stronger than this..."

"But I'm losing you forever, Trywn! And I'm gonna be stuck with Maru for the rest of my life!" she sobbed, a whine in her voice. "Oh, stop exaggerating. Pull yourself together! I know you can live without me, Jade, and if you just learn to stand your ground, Maru won't be a problem," he said. She took a deep breath. "You sound like you don't care," she squeaked. Trywn shook his head, bringing her to his arm's length. "You know better than that. Go on, get ready. You've got to stop moping. You can't change it." Jade sniffled, not meeting his eyes. "...okay," she replied quietly, allowing his hands to drop as she walked away. Regardless of what her sense told her, she felt a little betrayed.

As soon as she walked out Trywn's door, though, she was a strong, confident, independent woman again. That was usually how it ended after they had been alone together. Everything just changed.

Jade dragged herself to the crystal, where Maru was sitting on the crystal's pedastal. Jade approached him with a scowl. "Maru! Why are you sitting on the ceremonial crevice?! You know that's-" "Just plain disrespectful," Maru finished for her, but he laughed afterwards. Jade thought the laugh sounded rather cruel, which fueled her anger even more. "It actually makes a good sitting place, Clavat, and are you listening to yourself? You sound so much like a-" Jade promptly approached him and threw him off the seat. She was the one smiling as a large cloud of dust flew up into the air.

"Alright... round one, Jade. But we have all the time in the world together, now don't we?" Maru had managed to get on his feet. He slicked back his hair, giving her a smirk that said in truth he had won, turned, and left. Jade stared after him, knowing he was right. "...aaaAAAAAAAH!" she screamed in frustration when he was out of sight.  
"Jade?" a voice asked curiously and she quickly turned back. It was Korrin. He dropped his oversized pack to the ground, looking at her curiously. "You okay?"

"Of course I'm not okay," she said quietly, sighing. "Nah, I'm alright. I think I'm just dramatizing a little bit, that's all." Korrin laughed. "Yeah, I think you are, too." As Korrin leaned down to ensure his pack was secure, a silence stretched on. Jade stared blankly at the Yuke as he did so. "Korrin?" she asked after awhile. He looked up at her almost immediately. "Yes, Jade?"

"Do ya think we're gonna be okay?" Korrin's hands gently dropped what he was working with, though continued to squat. They stared at one another. "I don't know, Jade," he said gruffly. "I don't know everything. I just know it's gonna be really different." Jade nodded, though she felt tears welling up. She rubbed her eyes fiercely to avoid crying, though it didn't seem to be working. "Different?"

"Yes. We're going to learn a lot about each other we never knew, if that's even possible." If Jade could see through his helmet, she knew he'd be smiling. "Yeah, I guess you're right," she said. Regardless of her acceptance, it was still very tense. "And about Maru," Korrin added softly. Jade's face hardened. "Don't say that."

The silence that returned her spelled out just what the Yuke was thinking. _You know I'm right. _She smiled and shook her head. "Ah, Kor, I don't care. Let's just do this and not get killed out there, huh?" Korrin stood up. "Actually, Jade, we're each probably going to get killed several times within the first year, but lucky for us there's this thing called a Phoenix Down, and it-"

"Korrin!" she laughed, elbowing him in the arm. "Don't start that again!"

"But, Jade, you know it's true!"

"Oh, shut up."

"But Jaaaade!"

eieio.end

AN: Well, it's back up and running. This chapter took forever. I'm at my Dad's house and all my FFCC documents are on my laptop... which doesn't get internet here. So everytime I update a chapter, I would've had to go to a cafe or something... and yes.

Well, um, hopefully you guys liked it, possibly more than the other ones. I dunno. I think it's much better, but I think I lost something the other one had in its simplicity, ya know? What's done is done, though, and I'm happy with it. Thanks for reading!


	2. 1: River Belle Path

**Chapter 1**

**River Belle Path**

_They say that wicked creatures prowl the road along this beautiful riverbank, but nobody's ever seen one._

_I once asked a man why._

_He simply replied,_

_"Because anyone who happens upon one is promptly eaten!"_

_But it is long since anyone has met such a fate._

_For nowadays, people have taken another route, far away from the spooky old road._

_Only we walk the old way now... travellers in crystal caravans._

Though Jade had done plenty of walking in her life, she had never walked like this. The steady and solid pat of her feet had become much like her own heartbeat: close, familiar, and never-ending. She glared sourly ahead at Maru, who by the looks of it was taking a nap on the caravan's sitting space. She concluded that this was not fair. Her poisonous gaze turned to the wheels in front of her, then elsewhere in hopes of distracting herself.

Jade looked bitterly at the trees surronding her. They were so thick she could barely see the sun through them. At one time in her life, not so long ago, she was eager and excited to see the world outside. This was not nearly as grand as she thought it would be. Where was the action, the adventure? Where were the laughs, the companionship, the soft light of the fire? _So this is the untold story, _she thought. _Walking, walking, and more walking! _She stayed quiet, but continued to brood inwardly. Eventually, these sardonic thoughts subsided and she began thinking more pleasantly.

Suddenly, she realized how much her feet hurt.

This pattern continued for a long time-- so long, in fact, that the sun began to set behind the trees that littered the horizon. Korrin, who had been walking next to the papaopamus as well as guiding it, made a whistling sound and the creature stopped. Jade walked up just in time to see Maru jerk to life, thrashing and biting as if he were being attacked. She giggled. Korrin sighed, though was obviously amused.

"Time to set up camp."

Because of his soft words, the action was quickly done. Within minutes Jade was sitting down and eating some bannock as she listened to Maru and Korrin talk.

"We'll be arriving there tomorrow, I know it. We're right outside the boundaries of where the monsters are thickest, which means we're in a dangerous spot." The Yuke looked at both Jade and Maru. "Are you guys ready for this?" Korrin was sipping some strange liquid as he spoke, watching from beneath his helmet.

Maru sighed, halting the process of polishing his already-shining racket. "Of course, Yuke. What did you expect, I wasn't? It's not like I'm shaking in my boots like some sort of baby. I have no fear. This will be and is our fate for a very long time." Maru went back to polishing without another word. Korrin simply nodded in response, continuing to sip his concoction.

Bread crumbs littered her lap as Jade continued to nibble, granting Maru mercy for overall ignoring her. She was feeling halfway merciful because she felt halfway fulfilled. They were sitting around the fire, speaking softly about the state of affairs, and an aura of peace drifted through the clearing. Well, it was kind of what she wanted.

A few hours later, the Clavat's eyes were so heavy she could barely keep them open. Maru had already fallen asleep on his mat, his arms and legs twisted in the blankets as he muttered incoherently in his sleep. Even the fire seemed to be sleepy, its little flames licking at wood which had already cracked several times. Jade glanced over at Korrin. He seemed completely awake. She yawned, stretching her arms and falling down onto her mat. She looked over at Korrin again, smiling. Just as she closed her eyes and was about to get comfortable, Korrin spoke. "You've been so quiet today, Jade. Is something the matter?" Her eyes shot open, and she sat up once more. "Quiet? What do you mean?"

Korrin continued sipping his drink. He had not refilled it once over the course of the night. "Well, you said nothing on the way here, you listened to Maru and I rather than talking yourself, and, well, you haven't uttered one peep. What's up? Is it just the newness of this, or what?" Jade yawned, shaking her head.

"No, well... ya know, I'm not sure myself. Maybe it's just the newness. Yeah. The newness." The Clavat shot him a smile and Korrin laughed, beginning to loosen up.

"Truthfully, I thought you and Maru would've bitten each other's heads off by now!"

Jade giggled, half-asleep, and said, "Me too! Maybe it's just 'cause he was sleepin' the entire way or somethin'... lazy butt."

"He's not lazy, Jade. Don't call him that," the Yuke rolled his eyes here, "I just can't _wait _until we have to work together. You two... mm, I wonder if I'll be able to handle it." Jade nodded without processing a single word, her head lingering dangerously close to the pillow.

As the girl drifted off to sleep, Korrin set his drink down. He stared at her. _Such an innocent creature. _Her mouth opened and she began to snore, a trickle of drool following after the noise. The Yuke smiled to himself. Such times reminded him of their friendship. They knew each other better than anyone else in the entire world, and they shared secrets and trusted each other with their entire hearts. To Korrin, it was some sort of love. He frowned, picking up his drink again. The Yukish concoction was just what he had needed lately.

Korrin loved her in a way he couldn't quite explain, and wasn't sure she felt the same way. He was a Yuke, after all, a big, tall, mysterious Yuke. Korrin understood the fact that he was not at all attractive, not made of any sort of flesh. There was a slight hatred hanging over his head because of this, but knew that hatred was wrong. Outside of all that, he saw himself to be a confident, wise person, as did all the other people of the world. Then again, no one knew of his caring for Jade, even though it was painfully obvious. They were close. They were young. Things could happen in the future... but still. She only thought of him as the brother she was supposed to have, but didn't.

Korrin glanced over at Maru, a tiny yawn slipping through his helmet. The Selkie was still dead asleep. Alright, so maybe Korrin was a little tired. The Yuke set down his drink and stared into the dying embers. After a few minutes, he looked over at Maru again, his mind racing. At that very moment, Korrin was worrying about the future. If Jade didn't love him, she was open to love someone else. The Yuke squinted at the Selkie. There really had never been any chemistry between the two, no underlying flirtations with the games they played. It was not for attention or need, it was simply a tradition, a way to take out anger.

These thoughts were beginning to cause him some discomfort. It was not often that he pondered these sorts of things. There were always problems to solve, alchemaic formulas to ponder, daydreams to be had. Love? Love was such a distant thought. He wasn't even sure if it was love, anyway. Jealousy was also unfamiliar and distant, but here he was, simmering enviously at Maru. It was for his mortality, for his possible position in Jade's life that Korrin himself could never have. The Yuke gave her advice, was there for her, and was a symbol of neutrality in every way possible. Was it love? Or caring? What was love? Caring seemed to fit things perfect, but it was such a strong caring he doubted if it was only that. He still wasn't quite sure. There was too much confusion involved, and it wasn't quite clear.

Korrin, the sensible one, was being very insensible. He sipped his drink. Now his head hurt and there was a funny feeling in his stomach, like there was a big rock in the bottom of it. He thought himself dramatic, set down his drink, and curled up beneath his blanket. After a few moments, he began thinking again. _Alright, there's nothing I can do. I should just stop thinking about it. Things'll work themselves out. I need to think simple thoughts or I'll never get to sleep._ So, Korrin fell asleep with the image of thick, neverending trees surrounding him. But... was that a flicker of color rushing through them?

oo::---oo;;

"I need a bath."

These words were the fateful ones spoken when Jade woke up the next morning. Korrin continued extinguishing the fire. Maru continued to pack up. She was being ignored. Of course, the girl didn't care enough to stop hoping.

"I saw a river when I was gathering wood. I think a bath would do us all some good," said Maru after awhile. Jade glanced over at him, then to Korrin with an excited expression on her face.

"Oooh, Korrin, please, can we? Please?" The Yuke sighed and Jade's hopes were momentarily dampened.

"Well, I guess so, but you've got to remember, Jade, we won't be able to take a bath every day like you do at home." The Clavat continued to nod with much enthusiasm. She felt incredibly disgusting and wanted to get clean before fighting monsters whose guts would be all over her.

Seeing her idea was approved, she immediatly began walking in the direction where she suspected the river was. She walked, expecting them to follow, and it was a rather shocking realization when she found they weren't.

It hit her like a bullet.

The miasma entered her lungs, and she fell to the ground, coughing and spitting, then simply not breathing at all. Her head spun and suddenly things felt like a dream, full of anxiety, stress, and worries. Certain worries entered her mind, broke her down from the inside, and just as it was getting too painful to move on, air filled her lungs once more and everything returned back to normal. She was still on the ground in a fetal position, suffering inwardly and showing it outwardly.

"Jade, you alright?" Korrin asked softly. She felt his big feathered hand on her back as she slowly stood. He helped her as she wobbled. Maru was standing but a few steps away, the crystal chalice at his hip.

"You exited the circle, fool," he grumbled. The Yuke shot Maru a look.

"Everything's going to be alright, don't worry. You okay?" came Korrin's kind voice. Jade simply nodded, staring out at the miasma as she huddled close to him. How could monsters live in such misery? Were they truly creatures of dreams? She shivered, wiped her tears away quickly and painlessly. Assuring the Yuke she was alright, she cleared her throat and spoke. "So, everyone's still ready for a bath, right?"

It hit her. She stared, shocked, at the shining boundary between them and the horrible outside world. She would have no privacy. They would have to be there while she took a bath. They would be there when she changed, when monthly things came around, when she laughed and cried and whined and suffered and... She let out a piercing scream that was quickly hushed by her own two hands. She looked at them, horrified.

"Y-you have to promise you won't look!" Jade knew she was talking about every single day of their lives together, but it made perfect sense regarding the bath issue, too. Korrin laughed out loud and Maru simply began walking.

Within a few minutes, they reached nice little clearing with a river running through it. Jade looked in dismay. No big rocks, no forest of trees. Just grass. There was absolutely nothing to hide her virgin modesty. Blushing terribly, she put on a tone of voice that said she meant business.

"You two, turn and face the other way, just keep the crystal behind your backs. Now, I swear if you look, you'll be feeling pain you never dreamed of feeling. Even you, Korrin." There was the sound of clothes sliding off of a body and a little splash. Jade was taking a bath.

Maru quietly stared at his own feet, which were spread out casually before him. He continued to stare blankly, his thoughts drifting without purpose, until the Yuke beside him spoke.

"She can be silly sometimes," said the quiet voice. Maru sighed and pulled his legs toward himself.

"Yes. I know that. I probably know that better than anyone else on this planet." He spoke with a bitter tone, as if disgusted at the prospect of speaking, or maybe just the mention of Jade. He wasn't quite sure himself. There was a little black cloud hanging over his head, and it had been there for days. This had not been a good experience so far.

Korrin said, "Yeah. I know." There was a short silence. Maru closed his eyes and could hear Jade humming off-key. He opened his eyes again to find the Yuke staring at him.

"Hey... um... I'm sorry," Korrin muttered. Maru blinked. Though he was always up for people laying out their dignity before him (and him crushing it), hearing the Yuke apologize so abruptly was a puzzle.

"For what?" he said, speaking his thoughts. Korrin cleared his throat, saying, "Well, for anything really bad I've done to you. I really... well..." Maru was beginning to get a little bit tired of the sputtering Yuke. As he had said many times in life before, "Just say it."

"I'd like to make sure we all don't kill each other because of stuff we've done in the past." The Yuke's big fists were in his lap, and an air of purpose was about him. It did not take long for Maru to understand what he was talking about.

"Truthfully, you've never done anything, ever. I've just hated you. But hey, it's been fun." Maru held out his hand as if to finalize it. The Yuke took it awkwardly and shook it, then Maru continued. "And I know you're talking about Jade. What do I have to say about it? Nothing. If she's going to be the naive, whiny bitch I've always known her to be, I'll just treat her the same. It's not like anything's gonna change because we were forced to work together as a team."

Maru felt the Yuke tense up. This was obviously not the answer he wanted to hear. Maru never gave people what they wanted unless it happened to be the truth. He folded his arms, not wanting to talk. The Selkie went into such moods from time to time, and when he did, he usually locked himself in his room and did not come out until it was over. As over as it could be, anyway.

"Oh." was all the Yuke said. Maru was mildly surprised. He had always imagined Korrin to be an assertive person when he wanted something. Maru inwardly snickered. If that was true, the Yuke would've had Jade by now. Maru laughed inwardly at his own cruel little joke, when Korrin spoke again.

"Do you... really hate her?" he simply asked. The Selkie looked over at the Yuke curiously. Did he hate her? What a silly question. Of course he... but as he looked to his mind for answers, the usual flame of obvious hatred didn't flare. Maru blinked.

"Of... course, silly Yuke. She's done a lot to me."

Korrin chuckled. "I thought that all was just a game." Maru's brow furrowed. Maybe confiding in the Yuke would get him to shut up.

"Well, I guess it is. I don't hate her as much as I thought I did, anyway." This brought complete and utter joy pouring off of Korrin in waves. Maru simmered inwardly. So _that _had been what the Yuke was looking for.

"Alright. That's all I wanted to know." There was a silence, the hope and relief still coming strong from Korrin. Maru sighed and couldn't help but feel a little better simply being around someone happy. He smiled.

"So, Yuke. I don't hate her... do you love her?" The waves stopped for a moment, then started again.

"I was thinking about that last night, actually. I woke up and found out that I didn't. I just care a whole bunch."

Maru nodded slowly, something in the back of his mind noting... something. "Ha. That wasn't what I expected."

Immediatly afterwards, "Well, your answer wasn't what I expected either."

So they were on even ground now.

Maru couldn't help but feel brighter. They sat together, beginning to chat lightly about monsters and spells, how to get stains out the easiest, and other such things. It was all going well. Maru was beginning to break out of his self-constructed shell, and even Korrin seemed more at ease. Their chat went on for a long time, until they heard a throat clearing.

Jade was standing there with a big smile on her face, but as soon as they looked up, it disappeared. "I'm done." She plopped down right beside Korrin, shooing Maru away. He stood and left to take a bath. Jade was smiling widely at Korrin now, a smile that could probably be seen as strangely creepy. Korrin was looking at her oddly, she could feel it.

"Korrin," she said mischeviously, "were you and Maru talking about meeeeee?"

She knew exactly how to get to him.

She also know that if she could see his face, it would be beet red.

"U-u-uh, why? C-c-c-could you hear anything?" His hands were twisting each other nervously, causing a soft but rather odd squeaking sound to occur due to the feathers.

Jade giggled. "Oh, no, but still, I just _had_ to ask. So did you?" He seemed to become even more embarrassed.

"Um... no."

Jade looked at him sternly. "Alright, yes, but it's no big deal, okay?!" Once again, he seemed terribly flustered. Jade laughed, tickling his nervous hand.

"Oh, don't be silly, silly," she cooed, "I was just kidding. I didn't even expect you to answer. Let's just let Maru take his bath and we can go on. D'you think we're ready?"

Jade watched as his emotions flashed from one to another to another. She looked down her sword and shield. Korrin picked up his hammer. "No. I really, really don't."

---drama?-------nn;;

Jade stared at the fat moogle. She wanted to poke it. The desire to so strong it was overwhelming. It was staring at her evilly in response, probably wondering what was going through her head. Maybe she could have a nice poke-session after the little but rather threatening-looking Lilty stopped talking.

Jade momentarily glanced at the said Lilty. He was talking. How boring. Her eyes once again shifted to the moogle. Its fluff was becoming more and more appealing by the moment. It looked like it could be snuggled, or used as a warm blanket for those cold winter days. Her smile widened and her eyes narrowed a little bit. Yes, that would be nice. She pictured herself with a nice, fluffy moogle skin, a moogle hat, a moogle blanket, and suddenly she realized how cruel and heartless she was being. It probably had something to do with the completely frightened look the moogle was giving her. Its face clearly stated that it was ready to bolt at any movement she made. She wondered why, her thoughts returning to the moogle clothing line.

A sharp feeling in her gut brought her quickly back to reality. Maru's elbow was the offensive object. She glared at him, opening her mouth to say something, but he quickly said something for her: "We're training with that moogle over there, brat. Now come on, I really want to get this over with." He pushed her away and walked on as if nothing had happened. She stared, open-mouthed, as he walked away. Quickly, her face turned red and her anger flared. _How DARE he walk away like that! And he had no reason to push me AT ALL!!_

They walked until they came upon a beach. The rather large moogle suddenly snapped around, giving them the most horrifying look they had been given in a long time, even considering the look they had received when the three had accidentally disturbed their sleeping papaopamous.

"Listen up, you novices!" the mog barked, "Seeing as I've been through this sort of thing much, much more than you have, I get to treat you like dirt, you hear?!" Korrin was standing stock-still at attention, Maru was slouching without a care, and Jade had her hands balled up at her chest, her weapon and shield clanking together. The adorable, fuzzy creature walked in front of them, mocking and muttering under his breath.

This was going to be a long day.

--Ooh, a break!--

A strange, painful cracking sound was heard. Jade looked down at Maru's foot, up at Maru's face, and then walked away.

So far, the three had been getting along fine. Actually, no. It had been far from fine. Maru and Jade were bickering like crazy and Korrin was unable to keep up with Stiltzkin's teachings. And it was the moogle who was the source of these tragedies, or so they claimed. All of them now had sand in their eyes, shoes, and even pants and were sick and tired of the salty smells wafting off of the ocean. Yes, it was most definitely his fault. Even Jade no longer thought of him as cute and pokable. Truthfully, she wanted to shave him bald with nothing but her flimsy copper sword and make that hat she had been wanting. She also felt compelled to pluck the tiny hairs off of the bonbon on his head, one by one, just to see the little thing squirm.

Maru was equally as frustrated. Though he had never thought of the moogle as cute in the first place (actually, he hadn't noticed the thing until Sol Racht had stopped talking, he had been the only one listening he secretly suspected), he DID wish to chop it up. The moogle acted as if it knew everything, which bothered him greatly. How could the oversized ball of fat and fluff know more than he did about adventures, monsters, and miasma? He suspected the thing was simply mocking them. With that in mind, he strived to overexert himself and give it his all. He would show them, all of them, from Jade, to Korrin, to the moogle. Well, Korrin wasn't actually bothering him, he was simply an innocent bystander. But still. This was _not _fair. No trainer could be as cruel as the moogle and still be called a trainer.

Truthfully, Korrin was beginning to get the slightest bit frustrated with the whole thing as well. For one, Jade and Maru were acting like children. Though there was nothing new there, it was another thing he had to worry about. Being the perfectionist of the group, he also wished to please Stiltzkin, but that was not an easy task to complete. His ever-going motivation was beginning to run dry and bitterness was taking its place.

How would they even survive the first year at this rate? Could they rely on each other, like all caravans did? Oh, not a chance. The crystal in their village was supposed to be a wise thing, watching over its village and picking those best suited candidates based on teamwork, ability to withstand the hardships of searching for myrrh, and interactions with each other. At that moment, though, Korrin felt as if the crystal was the most stupid thing on the planet, plopping him with the two morons. Though Jade he cared about and Maru he identified with, they were really stupid. Really, really stupid.

All said, the three were not having an easy time with this.

"You there! Girly!" the moogle snapped, turning to face Jade. She noted its body swished after it when it turned and she smirked.

"Stop looking at me as if I were your plaything! Get over here, now, show me a formed focus attack!" _Oh, I'll show you a focused attack, _she growled inwardly, her smirk growing. She lunged at the thing with all her might, her speed surpassing even her expectations. It stared dumbly at her for but a few meager moments, then dove to the side. The edge of Jade's blade managed to snip at a few of the moogle's hairs, leaving a rather noticable bald patch running down the side. She blinked, then suddenly found herself sliding down into a pile of dry, grainy sand. Coughing and sputtering, she sat there for a few moments, wiping the tears fiercely from the corners of her eyes. The tears were of frustration, fatigue, and pain, and because she had sand in her eyes. She stood up and looked at the moogle's bald patch. She took in a deep breath, feeling an odd sort of self-accomplishment. That had been a tiny bit cruel, but truthfully, he had deserved it.

Stiltzkin, a little bit shaken, had made his way to his tiny feet, looking over at Maru with a stale kind of dislike. The creature sighed heavily and with its whole body, walking over. Maru was glaring at it all the while, but with his chest puffed out. This... _thing _wasn't going to get the better of him. Maru stared down at it condescendingly as it spoke. "Show me, boy. You're a Selkie. Give me a focus attack, right over there." The moogle tilted its head backwards, not really caring what the boy targeted. To him, Maru was simply another ignorant student. Maru narrowed his eyes dangerously, tensing up and crouching down.

"Yes... _sir!!_" Crash.

The Selkie's racket had let out a giant explosion of light. As the dust cleared from the near-explosion, Jade stood there, covered in sand. As her eyes welled up once more, her hands balled themselves tightly around her weapon, and she lunged. Stiltzkin stared in wide-eyed horror as the two wrestled, their weapons interlocking.

"Stupid... Maru!" Jade growled, pushing his racket up and off of her. He switched his racket quickly around, weaving it through Jade's arms as he pulled. He could feel the hot sand digging into his back and ruining his perfect hair. This seemed to fuel his desire to win more.

"You can't do anything about it, Clavat," he managed through clenched teeth. This seemed to get her even more fired up than his hair being ruined. With a mighty tug and a few complex but easy-to-follow movements, Jade had him on the ground, pinned by his own weapon. She was panting heavily, glaring at him with a hatred she had never really experienced before. He had called her a Clavat. Simply a Clavat. If you knew a person well, this was considered a compliment, a pet-name. If you didn't, it was simply distinguishing the differences between the races, which could cause quite a few hurt feelings. Jade and Maru had never been close enough to call each other pet-names. Ever.

"That's enough!" The moogle came stomping over, anger radiating off of him. Maru sat up and stared, his mouth slightly open, and Jade froze from her crouched position to stare also. This couldn't be good. Stiltzkin quickly separated, giving them a scolding on sparring.

"...if you're going to do it, do it when one's ready, and _not _while on the ground! We haven't even gotten to that part of your training yet! We still have to study healing magic and offensive magic, as well as spell fusion! Come, act like your comrade over there. He's behaving somewhere close to his age!"

When Korrin heard this, he was deeply flattered. When the moogle walked over to him, though, this was soon gone with the wind. "Get over there, Yuke! I haven't seen you once practicing your magic ability! Get that Fire spell, burn something! NOW!" Korrin scurried over, head down, and picked it up. He cradled it gently between his big hands. This is what he had been preparing for all his life. This is what he had been dreaming about, thinking about since childh-

"Cast the spell, dammit!"

Korrin closed his eyes and felt the curves of the magicite. He allowed his fingers to tingle as he imagined them touching the very core, and little sparks of magic shot through his arms, straight to the middle of his armored soul. He opened his eyes and suddenly, he could see the spot where he needed to cast it. Within moments he sent a powerful Fire spell directly at the spot he knew Stiltzkin wanted him to direct it to. _Bam. _Flames lingered in the air for a few moments, then disappeared completely. Korrin blinked. _Did I do that?_ "Only a second and a half," Stiltzkin said, obviously impressed, "Better than most newbies do. Very well done. A powerful spell, too. You're destined for this, I suppose... but you're a Yuke, of course you are!" Stiltzkin laughed bittersweetly and then turned around to break up another outburst between Maru and Jade.

Korrin stared down at the red magicite in his hands, its swirling contents winking at him mischievously. He blinked in return. Was he really destined for this? He turned the ball around and around, looking under and through it, as if asking it a question. Unlike a magic 8 ball, it did not respond. It simply continued swirling and entangling himself. He set it back down in his hands, blinking curiously. Wait, that entire self-enveloping experience had only taken one and a half seconds?

"YOU TWO! YOU'RE ACTING LIKE YEVON-FORSAKEN CHILDREN! GET BACK HERE! NO, NO, DON'T TOUCH THAT! GIRL, HANDS OFF! NO! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?! DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND NO?!?"

Korrin carefully set the magicite on the ground, bowing toward it as if it were truly something he should appreciate. Then he turned to look at the scene before him. Maru and Jade, chasing each other around with dangerous pokeythings, tossing a ball of Magicite rather harshly at each other while doing so. The little but not-so-little moogle was tailing them, yelling and screaming at the top of its lungs.

Wow. Just like the old days.

Jade tripped. She made a little squeaky-sounding squish as she landed, and then all was quiet for a few moments.

"**I GIVE!**" the moogle roared, finally breaking down and sobbing. "Oh, I give, I give, it's all over, do it on your own... please... please, get out, get out of here, I don't want you... I should've never taken this job... NOTHING could be worth this... nothing..."

"Stiltzkin!" a sharp voice called. Everyone looked up sharply from staring at the pitiful moogle. Sol Racht was standing on top of the cliff overlooking the beach. "It's time to eat!" This caused a drastic change in atmosphere. The moogle immediatly perked up, dashing off with an almost childish vigor. It was obvious he had completely forgotten about his task. They listened to the fading, crunching footsteps of the Lilty and the voice of Stiltzkin asking what was for dinner.

Korrin, Jade, and Maru looked at each other. Without another word, they gathered up their things and left.

-----------bow--

Jade whacked a goblin in the face, backing up to charge again, but that idea was proven impossible as she was seized by another goblin's claw. She turned and severed the offending appendage, watching with a strange fascination as it collapsed upon the ground, squeaking terribly in pain. She stabbed it again through the heart for good measure, then flashed around to face another.

Where was Maru? As the sweat continued to pour from her brow, she began to ponder, rather angrily, how Maru had been performing. She had almost died five times already, and they'd only been there for an hour. Right now, for instance, she figured she could use a good Cure. He was seriously slacking with his healing duties. She glanced over at him for a moment after wiping her forehead with her sleeve, looking just in time to see him being pressed down by a much larger goblin than the others. He flipped away, whacking it in the face as he did so. Jade stared in a mixed awe. She had a few choice thoughts going through her head: _Why is he fighting when he needs to be healer?! _and _I wonder if _I _could learn to flip like that..._

Maru, an evil glint in his eyes, was obviously about to kill the goblin, and thoroughly enjoy it. Acting without thinking, Jade zoomed over, shoving the Selkie aside in the process. She stabbed the worn goblin clean through the heart, extracting her sword only when she knew it would never draw a breath again. She wiped her face, this time to get rid of greenish-black blood. She stared down at Maru, who was still sprawled out on the ground. He glared back.

"That's my job," she said, narrowing her eyes. He clenched his teeth shut, his glare becoming more poisonous.

"You weren't doing it very well."

He stood up to face her. Being only an inch or two shorter, Jade came right up to his face and began her rant. "What the hell are you thinking, Maru?! You're supposed to be keeping tabs on us! You know, healing us?" As she continued to speak, Maru was Curing everyone with a straight face. "But no, you've been prancing around, fighting on your own as if you don't have a part with this group! Well, listen, you do! Your part is healer, too, which means you can only fight if we're all taken care of and recently healed! Do you understand me? We have to work together on this! I don't want to die!"

"Even if I can bring you back to life?" Maru said, clicking the Cure back onto his belt. Jade furrowed her brow and brought her lips together. "That matters, but I still don't want to die! Are you listening?! I don't think you want to! If they kill me, then who's left to be killed? You and Korrin! And of course they're going to go after the healer, then the mage! So if you'd PLEASE just stop being a stupid jerk, I'd-"

"Jade," Korrin's calming voice said. "Let's think rationally here. These are the first few hours of our battling time. We all still have to get used to it. You're doing well, but your job is kinda simple. Being healer is harder than it sounds." Jade looked at him, torn between her seething anger and her need to act sensible. She finally sighed. "Kor, you can't say you aren't slacking off either."

Korrin froze. Jade looked at him expectantly, folding her arms. "You know, the Clavat is right," Maru said, joining in, "We haven't had much support from you at all." Jade hid her shock under her glare. Maru was agreeing with her? There was hope for them yet! Korrin looked down, mumbling, "I'm sorry..." Jade's arms dropped slightly and she smiled.

"It's okay. Like you said, it's new to all of us. Let's just keep going." The three of them nodded, Korrin picked up the chalice, and they were off.

Again.

They battled for a few more hours. Afterwards, the air seemed hotter, denser, and the monsters seemed to come in greater quantities. They were hot, sweaty, tired, irritable, and overall not feeling very well. This was not exactly the gallant adventure they were expecting. After an even longer time, they stopped to rest, right by a small creek. There was a dark and ominous-looking tunnel in front of them, but they didn't care. They simply wanted some peace for just five minutes. Thoroughly exhausted was the correct word for what they were feeling.

"This... sucks..." Jade panted, collapsing onto the rocky shore. Korrin simply nodded, sitting down right beside her in a proper manner. Maru stood for a bit, then leaned down to get a drink of water and sat there, back to them. Jade gazed out at the beautiful landscape, noting the corpses that littered it. Her arms were wrapped around her folded legs, her chin resting on the top of her knees. She found herself drifting in thought, and as she did so, her eyes drifted to Maru. He was staring out into the distance, too, unconscious of her watching eyes. As soon as she realized who she was looking at, she snapped her head back into place, unfolding her legs and sitting indian-style instead.

"So, Korrin!" she began, "Do you know what's in store for us? Are we just supposed to fight monsters until we find the tree?" Korrin shook his head.

"No, actually. I've read... somewhere that there's a mighty beast guarding the path to the myrrh tree. It's supposed to be like a final test, if the entire thing wasn't test enough."

Jade sighed deeply, hanging her head. "I wonder if we'll ever get used to this..."

Korrin smiled, looking at her kindly. "Of course we will. Why would you think otherwise? Past caravanners stayed in their caravans for many years. I don't see why they would keep coming out here and risking their lives unless there was something to come out here for, right?"

Jade nodded. "I guess you're right."

"But maybe the reasons had to do with something within themselves rather than the environment," Maru said, taking a long drink from his cupped hands. Jade and Korrin looked over at him, Jade with unease. "What do you mean by that?" Maru shook his head, opening his fingers and allowing the water to fall from them. "I doubt you'd understand."

But she did.

"Well... I'd still like to know," she said. He looked down at her, sighing. "Something like self-fulfillment. People always speak of missing pieces, looking around the world for the rest of their heart, and sometimes, they find it. Maybe caravanners only continued because of their fragile hopes, or maybe they were running away. There's a lot to consider."

Jade stared at him curiously. It seemed to her as if he knew something she didn't. Then again, they all held secrets, but she was only guessing.

There was a short silence in which Maru stared off at the horizon, Korrin twiddled his thumbs as if considering something, and Jade sat, staring. After a bit, she stood up, dusting off her pants. "Alright. It think I'm ready. Let's go find this... big bad boss or whatever." Korrin nodded, standing up as well. Maru silently picked up his racket, already standing. The three of them walked into the big dark tunnel, battling vines and weeds as they went.

There was a waterfall.

-------oo--gasp--

"Maru!" Jade gasped out, barely dodging a piercing pincer. Not even a second afterward, she was hit with a Cure. Newly invigored, she lunged at the giant disfigured crab, barely avoiding a Slow spell.

When they had first arrived, they had been shocked by the incredible beauty. Of course, this beauty did not last long. A giant, grotesque crab-like creature had appeared from a cave behind the beautiful waterfall and had attacked upon sight. Jade, for one, had been scared out of her wits. The fact that the ground shook when the thing had landed was enough to send her running. She didn't, but she sure felt like it. Her teeth had been chattering, but she had clenched them. Her knees had been knocking, but she stood up straight and tall, attempting to act like the fighter she was supposed to be. Then it had attacked.

A Fire landed dangerously close to her, but square on the crab. It shrieked, flailing wildly. Barely avoiding the large and dangerous pincers as she dashed, she ran under the crab and stabbed straight up, delving into the underbelly. As it began to shudder, she dashed out again, barely at the edge of the crystal's protection range. Another Fire. Jade was Cured. She gave a quick focus attack from behind, then went to the front again. It was a tough battle for such inexperienced fighters, but they were handling it rather well.

Jade whacked it unceremoniously on what she presumed to be the head, and then it fell off. Shrieking loudly, she narrowly avoided the battle-scarred appendage, and she was surprised to find out how she did. The shoulder of her tunic was bunched in Maru's hand. She looked at him and him at her for a moment, staring openly. After that moment, she began glaring and he dropped her shoulder and wiped his hand on his shirt, as if disgusted by touching her. There. That was more like it. Korrin was uneasily backing up, chalice in hand. "Uh... guys... it's not dead."

Jade was barely able to avoid the striking Thundara the crab has cast, but took advantage of the situation and rolled toward it, slicing at its eyes. She hacked away, jumping, diving, avoiding, and basically staying alive. It was working. There was a little ball of something deep inside her chest that was building up. It was a good feeling, one that made her want to dance and cheer. Was this victory? She was considering it possible that this was the reason the caravanners chose to stay.

One last Fire, and a screeching cry. It was dead. Jade poked its body just to make sure. Yes. They had won. Just as she was backing away, the crab burst into sudden flames, but as quickly as they came, they left. In their place was a pile of ash with some oddly-colored lumps hidden beneath. It was Maru who had the courage to walk up and dig through the ashes, plucking several items from them. At the sight of them, Korrin cried out happily. Korrin and Jade rushed up to Maru, examining the artifacts and finally choosing one each. They were interesting things, small but glowing with an odd sort of power. Jade put hers around her neck, happily tucking it beneath her tunic. The three walked on. They arrived at the Myrrh tree.

It was Korrin who approached, chalice in hand, and set it reverantly on the pedestal. The three of them watched in awe. The myrrh tree seemed to have to gather up some strength, but lights appeared to shoot through its weeping branches, and at the very tip of them, a small drop of liquid formed. It grew larger and larger until the tree couldn't seem to hold it any longer. The drop fell into the chalice and filled up an incredible amount for such a small mass. Jade rushed up beside Korrin, taking the crystal chalice in her hands and dancing around with it above her head. "We've done it! We did it, you guys! We did it, we did it, we did it!" She laughed and danced, the ball in her chest bursting.

Korrin stood over beside Maru, watching as the girl danced. "Does it make you happy to see her happy, Yuke?" Maru asked in a dull tone, just curious. Korrin looked out at her, smiling widely. "I'm not quite sure, Maru. I don't know if it's _her_ happiness that's getting to me, or _my own_ brand of the happiness that she's feeling right now." Maru nodded. "Do you suppose it's the latter?"

"I think so."

The two stood quietly in companionship. Maru was not prying. Korrin was not being forced.

Just as they had settled Jade down and were ready to leave, a fluffy ball of adorable happiness came flying at them. Jade let out a cry as it nearly swooped into her. "Sorry, miss, kupo!" it cried, flying back and settling in the air before her. "Are you Jade?" the creature asked, and Jade nodded, slightly flustered. A letter was suddenly in its mouth. "Here ya go, kupo!" Jade took it, unsure of what to do with it. She was blinded by the utter cuteness. The mail moogle gave out a few more letters, then waited patiently.

Jade read hers with a smile on her face. It was a letter from her mother, simply asking how the journey was going. She wrote a quick return letter, as did the other two, and the moogle was off.

She smiled and waved to it as if flew off, cluthing a second, unseen envelope in her still hand.

"Ready to do it all over again, guys?!" she asked with a surprising amount of vigor, tucking it away in one of her bags. Maru and Korrin looked at one another. Maru's expression turned from one of darkness to one of curiousity as he reaised one eyebrow. Korrin simply looked very amused.

Jade opened her arms and flew off in the direction of the caravan.

"Hey! Jade! WAIT FOR US!" Korrin and Maru dashed after, and even Maru could not help but smile.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

_Dear Jade,_

_My dear, it has only been a week or so, and I miss you dearly. Everything's been so... different here without you. The twins are didn't eat their pancakes this morning. I even put berries in them! I also had to pick the berries myself... oh, dear._

_I've been speaking with the Yuke's father, ah, Korrin's, is it? Yes, he's a very nice man, though a little eccentric if you don't mind me saying. He took a long journey of some sort once, I'm guessing when he traveled here. He said that the road is terribly dangerous if you don't know what you're doing. Especially the miasma. Yes, the miasma was the worst part, he said. Once he tripped into it or something of the sort. Jade, please tell me you'll be alright. Though it's good you want to get to know yourself and the world around you, can't you do it in some less dangerous matter? I know you'll do well wherever you go, but I miss you._

_Please write back and tell me all about your travels._

_-Mother_

_PS: I don't mean to worry you, but as of late, the crops have been suffering. If you happen to find any seeds or extra money, it would be wonderful. Without your help around here... please be careful, Jade._

**Mom,**

**Momma! What's wrong? Why are the crops gone? That's really, really terrible. What's going on? I'm so sorry... I really hope things get better. Is it just you, or everyone, or...?**

**Life here is so... complicated. So many people, so many places, so much walking! And being around Maru so much has been completely unnerving. I'm used to acting one way around him, and one way around my friends and stuff, but they're both here, so I've just been... acting myself, I guess. I mean, he's not mean and sarcastic and a jerk all the time, only when someone made him have a bad day or something. Otherwise, he's just... arrogant, distant. I'd almost say he was shy, but that's completely silly! I'm so used to acting different around him, but I'm with him all the time now. I'm still not sure about anything! Momma? Is there anything you would, um, suggest?**

**Korrin's been wonderful, though. Just the best of the best. I mean, I thought I knew him really well and stuff back home, but this has just been... wow. He's still kind and wise and fun to be around, but I really _really_ know him now, in everything from sleeping, to what he keeps from us, to what part he plays in a team.**

**Anyway, please don't ever feel like keeping something from me. I totally understand! We killed a this gigantic killer crab the other day, and I got a lotta money and stuff, soo... take it. Please.**

**-Jade**

_Set,_

_I can't believe you managed to get your worthless ass in that caravan. Your mom's dying and your brother and sister ran away again, just thought you'd like to know. No one misses you._

_Send stuff._

_-Tei Noo_

**Father,**

**Why did I leave again? Oh, yes, because I was tired of living with a worthless bag of shit like _YOU!_ Fuck off and grow a heart.**

**No Signature**

_Big Bruthr,_

_BIG BRUTHR!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Im sooo prowd yu got in the careacan. Send snaks n stuf bak from yor travles!_

_Now, to business._

_I plan on making a profit from this, dearest brother. I want it. I want it all. From "snaks" to money to everything, I need it. Our family is rather poor, if you haven't noticed, and I plan on making something out of myself, unlike the rest of this village._

_You never know what's waiting when you get back home._

_-"Lil Bruthr"_

**You brat!**

**I can't believe you. I knew it! Knew it knew it knew it! Where'd you learn to write? Is that where all my ink's been going? You--!**

**Alright. I'm giving you one chance to redeem yourself. Mister Maru's not gonna save you this time, either. And, um, I'll do something bad. You'll regret it if you prank me a single time. You will! Just watch!**

**I'm keeping this letter, by the way.**

**-Korrin**

_My dearest Jade,_

_Heya. It's... Trywn. I've really missed you, and wanted to get this letter to you as soon as possible. How's life on the road? Exciting? Is everyone treating you right? Yevon, you've been gone so long. I never expected I'd lose you, Jade. The last time I felt this lonely was when waaay back when I thought you abandoned me while playing hide-and-seek in the field... and were actually hiding in a tree._

_I'd really like it if you came back. Deti Ona's been really creeping me out, and... aah. I have a surprise for you when you get back._

_-Trywn_

**Trywn!**

**Is that really you? I mean, whoa. It's so sweet!**

**Things have been going really well out here. We've been hurt a few times, but not really a lot. Maru's... different than I thought, and Korrin and I are tight, as always. Lose me? But I'm right here! I'll always be here! And I remember the tree. That was so fun. You cried!**

**Oooh! A surprised?! I can't wait!! And with Deti Ona? Just tell her some excuse. It usually works for me.**

**-Jade**

_Maru (What's your second name?),_

_It's Deti Ona. From Selkie to Selkie, I wanted to write these letters. I mean, Trywn wrote one, and I felt left out, so I'm writing one now. Yeaaah. _

_How are things going? It must be great, living out there. Personally, I prefer the village to the lonely, cold outside world, but I guess that's why I'm still here. Tell me everything. Really. I wanna hear it._

_Trywn says he has a surprise for you all. It's something big and caravan-changing, apparently._

_-Deti Ona_

**Deti Ona,**

**Hi. Why are you writing me again?**

**Things out here have been mediocre. Nothing really exciting. We slayed our first beast, but it was easy. We're getting along fine, I guess. Life here's fine. It's all fine.**

**Trywn? A surprise? I can't wait.**

**-Maru (Just call me Maru. Seriously.)**

----------------------------------------------------------------------.end

A/N: Well... there you have it. I swear to God that thing took forever, and I am DEARLY sorry. My schedule will be falling into place soon, and so I'll have more time for writing, because I'll be much more organized! Go me! I hope you enjoyed it. I wrote it with a... friend, I guess, in mind that I can't get out of my head, which is a bad thing, a horrible thing. Regardless, I do think it was rather well-written, but I am worried about a few things I think I did differently. I'm not quite sure, though.

I also wrote this while fighting a video game addiction, so I'm proud I got it done. Please, please review! I really like to hear from my readers and stuff!

But, primarily...

**FOR MY BESTEST BUDDY BRICHAO! nn I love you! Happy birthday!**

**AHEEEEEM! This has been edited. Kinda.**


	3. 2: Mushroom Forest

(I own nothing but the character personalities. And, a thought: why do people put disclaimers on a site titled Hmm...)

A/N: Before I launch you off, I'd just like to thank all of you reviewers! I tried to listen to your suggestions and remind myself of your compliments, and so hopefully, this is satisfactory. Brichao's been poking me for this since his birthday, and I've FINALLY finished it and posted it and... yeah. A big thing that teh **Fugitive Panda **reminded me of was the letters! Omg, I had seriously forgotten about the letters! Those are there now, and they're here, too, so just take a peek back to fully understand everything that's going on within them. Also, I always, always go back and make continual changes to all my chapters, so by the time I'm finished, you may just have to read it over to get a fully polished version. :3

Oh, and as a side-note, I recently retrieved the older documents from my dad's computer, so now I actually know what I'm doing. Yes, before this, I didn't have the original documents with me, which is why a few things were off track. That'll be fixed eventually.

Now, shoo! Read and review!

**Chapter 2**

**The Mushroom Forest**

Korrin carefully threw a log onto the crackling fire, sparks jumping away from the intruder. The flames were less afraid, though, and examined it for a few moments, licking at the sides. Then they devoured it. Korrin tore his eyes away from the enchanting flames to stare at his comrades.

"Hey. Guys," he said suddenly, standing. Jade, huddled up beneath a blanket, looked up at him while her fingers continued to wrap around her drinking cup.

"Y-yes?" the girl said with a shiver, taking another sip from the mug.

Korrin smiled, shaking his head. It was about time to tell them. "Hold on, let me get something." He turned his back to their only reliable source of warmth, digging through the dark and desolate-seeming covered wagon. After sifting through a few cooking items, he came upon a thick book with worn, brown binding and gave a noise of satisfaction. He re-emerged from the tarp and sat down. Immediately, all attention turned to him. Jade scooted over and peered at the book with wonder, her face poking out of the folds of blanket to get a better look . The shadowed glare Maru had been giving him for the past half-hour turned to a look of intense curiousity, and the Selkie moved over to sit beside the Yuke as well. Korrin opened the book as soon as they had settled. The two gasped.

"Korrin! What is it? Wow, such pretty, curvy handwriting... where'd you get it? What's it say?"

"How old is that, Yuke? Let me see it! Have you been keeping this from us? because that's not very team-spirit like."

Korrin, shaking his head at their various comments, turned to the first page. "I believe this is the journal of the caravanners before us." There was silence as Jade and Maru began to read. Korrin watched for their reactions carefully. In truth, he had been keeping the diary to himself, reading the first few entries over and over again in order to memorize every last detail. Ever since his childhood, he had always known everything before the others, and this had affected his security during the first few days of the caravan's travels. He was just as naive and unknowing as the other two and that seriously irked him. After all, he _was _a Yuke. Wasn't he _supposed_ to know? Korrin had happened upon the book one day while cleaning, which he took as a celestial sign that he was, indeed, supposed to know. The rest was history.

"Turn the page," a Selkic voice demanded. Korrin did so. There was another long silence as the two absorbed what he had spent countless, hidden hours absorbing. It would hit them sometime soon. When it did, he had prepared a few responses and excuses to protect himself with. He was a Yuke. What more was there to say?

Suddenly, the book was seized from his feathery grasp, the monsterous tome now held in the air by a Clavat's two skinny arms. "Wha... _that's _how you knew about the crab!" Jade slammed the book shut and dust flew everywhere. Korrin coughed weakly and cringed, partially for himself, and partially for the book's binding. After a few moments in the frozen position, he cautiously opened one eye. Nothing was flying at him at high speeds, which was a comforting thing. He relaxed when realizing this, looking from Jade to Maru in an embarrassed, apologetic sort of way. Jade was smiling at him, as usual. "Wow, Kor! That's so awesome! Next time just show us before we throw ourselves in the way of a gigantic killer crab without knowledge, mmkay?" Korrin nodded silently and gave an awkward smile in return, taking the hint. Jade kept the plastered look on her face and slunched back to her warm spot, bending over and looking much like a gigantic slug.

Apparently, Maru had nothing to say on the matter. He simply took the book back from Jade and, to Korrin's surprise, started reading it. Ignoring the slightly irritated twitch in the back of his mind, he thought a moment. _I suppose Maru has a right to look around, too. But... I dunno if he knows what he's getting into. _I _haven't even read the whole thing yet, for Yevon's sake..._ The Yuke sat, cross-legged, and thought some more. Within minutes, they all had settled back down into the comfortable tradition of nights at the campfire, the ripple ignored. Just as Korrin was calculating the amount of bannock they would need for the next eight or so years (and not liking the sum), just as Jade had settled back down in her warm cucoon, and just as Maru had turned the page, a distant clatter was heard. It was loud enough that all three caught it, and strange enough to cause all three to look up from their mindless tasks in order to stare.

Another caravan.

Maru stood, as if to take the lead role and see exactly what was going on. Korrin, of course, knew better, and stood himself. Maru flashed him a look and Korrin glared back at the Selkie, even if he couldn't see it. The clatter became louder and louder and soon they were standing face-to-face with Sol Racht. The Lilty and his caravan bowed politely, and Korrin and Maru bowed in return. Jade jumped up between them, bowing in her own, slightly less stiff way. Maru and Korrin were more focused on the Lilties.

"Hello, Shatsu caravan. Very pleased to see you. It's been only two days, has it not?" Korrin nodded firmly, and assumed Maru would take that as a sign to back down. He didn't.

"It's always a pleasure to see you, sir. Anything we can help you with?" Maru said, straightening beside Korrin. The Yuke stared in shock at the Selkie. That tone came from Maru? The tension between the two welled up thickly, each having their own pre-conceived thoughts about what the other was thinking. _People can be so silly,_ Jade pondered to herself as she looked at the over-prepared expressions on their faces.

The Lilty laughed, looking at each caravanner carefully. "Well, you could do with a Lilty to help protect you, but that's another matter, I suppose. After all, they don't just sprout out of the ground!" Sol laughed, then looked over them again. His gaze became shadowed as it zeroed in on Jade. "...and that girl over there shouldn't be out here, it's too dangerous for such a fragile breeding tool."

Korrin smiled awkwardly, unsure of what to think. He could practically feel the heat rolling off of Jade now. Maru picked boredly at his nails as Sol continued. "Besides all that, we'd like to talk to you about something of great importance."

"What is it, sir?" two asked in unison.

"It's about the Black Knight." The Lilties around Sol Racht were already busy settling their caravan beside Shatsu's, but no one seemed to notice. Who was this Black Knight, and why didn't they know about him?

The grand Lilty began to pace, expressing himself through his hands. "The Black Knight has been notorious for wandering around aimlessly, attacking all in his way. He is said to have been crazed, probably from the miasma he's been breathing in for quite some time now. It's really quite a pity. We've sent out guards to dispose of this creature, but he's evaded our grasp. Quite odd, quite odd..." Korrin stared, Maru blinked, and Jade began twisting her hands. A crazy madman wasn't the most promising news.

The Yuke was completely oblivious to the outside world, immersed in his thoughts. He was always hyper-focusing, which was very useful when whispered conversations were to be had. Glancing at Korrin to make sure she wouldn't be caught, Jade's tongue slipped out of her mouth seriously, turning to Maru. He gave a gruesome, gnarled expression in return. After her eyebrows raised in shock, Jade returned the gesture, and within moments each was coming up with faces more terrifying than the last. The fourth face by Maru came and went, and finally, Jade couldn't take it any longer.

"Why'd he point to me? You're more of a woman AND more of a breeding tool than I am!" she whispered hoarsely, making the face of a sourpuss.

"Well, that's not saying much," came the reply, his face contorting into the expression of some tortured animal.

Jade took a slow step back, then picked up the crystal chalice gently from the ground. Looking over at Korrin, who was still highly distracted, she beckoned to Maru. "C'mon." The Selkie, a little shocked at the proposal, became limp, therefore perfectly susceptible when Jade seized his wrist.

"...and so we decided it would be safest to stay in groups tonight. You need the protection anyway." Korrin nodded in agreement as Sol Racht continued to rant. The Lilty had begun talking somewhere around the cat face, but had very easily been ignored. Bringing his hand up to his metal armor, Korrin thought. _Is he just critcizing us because we're new, or because he's just like that? I mean, we've survived after an entire week and a half._

After another minute or two of blabber, Sol straightened, saluted Korrin, glanced behind the Yuke, grinned, and went to sit down with his camp. Korrin sighed and watched as Sol and his group made their fire, got their things out, and began talking and laughing in only a few minutes. _I just hope we'll be like that, someday, _Korrin thought sadly, turning back to view their shoddy campsite.

"Jade? Maru?" he said with surprise, chagrined at his lack of awareness. They were obviously gone, but how long had he been standing alone? In sudden realization, he glanced down to find the crystal chalice had disappeared. It was the tell-tale sign of an escape. He laughed to himself with genuine mirth at the idea of Jade wearing a sneaky expression, Maru creeping along behind her. He shook his head, unable to keep himself from grinning. _I guess Mama was right,_ he thought, though already knew it. _I'm really too serious sometimes. Or maybe introspective. Analytical? Hmm... _Blinking and poking the slumbering fire with a nearby stick, he shook his head._ Yeah. She was._

---

"It's cold," she said numbly, the words barely drifting through the heavy air. The crystal chalice was clasped tightly to Jade's chest. All three were shivering, but they managed to compress it for the sake ot their teammates, and for themselves. Indeed, it was cold, and the ominous-looking cavern before them was not helping things.

"The Miasma Springs is a cold place," Korrin muttered, his arms folded against his body. Jade nodded in response. Maru slowly reached over and extracted the chalice from her grasp, taking it to his own chest.

"Come on, then," he said with purpose, stepping closer to the entrance. "We're not getting anywhere like this. I bet the animal is already on the other side. This is nothing."

Jade stared silently at Maru, wandering exactly what was going through his mind. She knew what was going through hers: worry, apprehension, and cold, poisonous fear. A great breath filled her lungs, one that helped calm her, and suddenly the bitter feelings had become a cold stone wall that could protect her. Nodding to herself, she stepped forward with Maru. Why she was so afraid, she was not sure, but it was not a feeling she was accustom to. Korrin was soon at her side. They entered the icy, gaping mouth before them, into the cool, foggy depths of the Miasma Stream.

Dark, disfigured branches reached up from the misty depths of the unknown, though it was not for the light they reached. A path of stone stretched across the expanse, though it looked like it could support nothing but the mysterious mist on that was already swirling around on top of it. Suddenly, something bouncy and tan caught the attention of the three by its tiny cries.

"Hey! Kupo! Over here!"

They all approached, each enraptured for their own reason by the fluffy ball of energy. The moogle, ceasing its wild jumping, caught its breath enough to speak. "Do you know what this place is, kupo?" it asked first thing.

"This is the miasma springs, right?" Jade questioned.

"Right, kupo!" the creature replied in a chipper tone. "I have no idea how I survive here, but you guys can't, so don't stay here for long. Now, listen, kupo. It's not gonna be easy crossing. The miasma is so darn thick! You have the right element, kupo? Water?"

Maru looked doubtfully from the chalice to the stream, then nodded for the sake of making the moogle continue. The creature did. "Well, all you have to do is cross, kupo. It's really no big deal. Just don't get outta the circle, 'kay? Then bad things will happen. They say, kupo, that the miasma's gas goes away, but the miasma's effect stay."

"We know that," Maru said flatly, giving Jade a little look. She stuck her lip out in response. "It was an accident, alright!? And the effects aren't all that easy to handle, you know." Maru stuck his nose in the air, silent.

As they shuffled forward, it was hard to repress the urge to just high-tail it outta there, yet they were helpless even to that. Korrin's step did not echo as he began walking, nor did Jade's, nor Maru's. They exchanged looks that simply stated the experience as an event, something they had to do. Regardless, the creepy atmosphere wasn't helping their already uneven sense of reality.

It would be a lie to say it was easy. By seven steps into the mist, they were continuously pushed back, Maru especially. His suddenly weak arms quivered under the new weight of the chalice he held above his head. Jade's lungs, now easily irritable because of her earlier exposure to the thick mist, were clogging up, and soon she found herself hacking up a storm, barely shielding herself with her arm. The metal armor Korrin usually wore felt like ten thousand pounds of weight burdening his poor soul, and for some reason, several other burdens came to mind as well. They were just as heavy as his physical ones. Jade. Trywn. His brothers. Mother. Father. He pressed onward.

He wasn't the only one who felt this. Maru staggered not only because of the chalice, but due to the pressuring, suffocating pain he felt squeezing at his entire body. He began shaking. Emotions flitted through his system like leaves in the wind, tumbling, twisting, and switching quickly. Most were not pleasant, and some were even unknown to him. He felt envy. His guilt. His father's disappointment in him, and abuse, his mother's lack of life and hope and self. He gasped for breath, dragging another foot forward as he continued to choke. It was an odd experience, feeling and unfeeling all at once. Not only was it something he had never planned on going through, but something he found next to impossible to describe. It seemed perfectly liable to feel, though.

Jade was also fighting a haze of cloudy memories, losing her grip on reality quicker than the other two. Fear. Hatred. Depression. All were feelings she knew she wasn't supposed to feel, and felt guilty for feeling them, but knew it was perfectly human. Tear rolled down her cheeks. It was a cycle of desperate thoughts, and soon the only thing keeping her going was the thought of getting _out_. She felt like exploding. The fiery anger in her veins and was mixing with the thick tears inside of her and creating a turmoil of feelings.

Afterwards, they would claim it would be a lie to call the experience hard.

Then again, none of them were telling the full story.

But it wasn't as if they wanted to.

There was a great flash of light, and they were all standing there, being slowly pushed away. Jade blinked, her feet scraping upon the ground as she stood.

"That's... it?" she squeaked, thought "it" perhaps wasn't the word for it. Maru glanced at her darkly, still attempting to get his shaking limbs in control. "It?" he sneered, "What, you've faced worse before?"

"No!" she squealed, bringing her hands to her mouth nervously. Her face was slightly flushed. "No... no, I didn't mean it like that." She wiped her face, sniffling slightly, though attempted to hide it.

"That's what I thought," Maru muttered, staring straight ahead. For some reason, he felt as if the other two had not experienced what he had, or at least not at the same level. Korrin and Jade were much too innocent to know pain. His bottom lip twitched slightly in a mixture of several different feelings, one being annoyance.

Korrin took a deep, quavering breath, and cleared his throat. "A-alright. Harold's probably waiting for us. C'mon." He beckoned to them with a feathered hand and walked on. Still clutching the chalice, Maru followed behind him, as did Jade. Suddenly, Maru stopped, a most incredulous expression on his face. "Wait, who's Harold?" Jade stopped as well, looking in surprise as she realized the same thing. "Yeah, who's this Harold person?" Her hands were on her hips. The Yuke looked terribly embarrassed, finding himself again on the spot. "Umm... our papaopamus, remember?"

Jade ane Maru exchanged a little glance, then Jade began to giggle. Rolling his eyes, Maru continued on his way, and all was well.

-----------

Maru stared expressionlessly as Jade skipped forth into the town of Marr's Pass. He noted the glitter in her eyes and the unexplainable way she seemed completely thrilled to be there with disdain. Shaking his head, he walked at the regular pace with Korrin. Maru had been to this city a few times before, so it wasn't really anything new to him, but he was obviously the only one. He glanced up to find the Yuke fidgeting. Raising an eyebrow at him, Maru spoke.

"What are you so worked up about, Yuke?"

Korrin looked down, still squirming. "Um... I've only been through here once, and I was asleep, and, well. I've heard some really good stuff about this place, and the crystal is huge, and..." Maru half-grinned. "Why're you still standing here, then?" Korrin was gone in an instant. Jade trailed after him.

Alone for the first time in almost two weeks, Maru heaved a heavy sigh, deciding to take a walk around the tiny town. As he walked, he began to ponder. His brain was the only thing out of shape after this caravan experience.

_I guess this is better,_ he thought darkly, stopping to 'examine' a few trinkets in a stall. _Well, yeah, it's better. The stupid crystal was right for once. And I guess they aren't so bad._ Jade zoomed past him, still giggling. Right after the dust cleared, Maru blinked twice, then returned to his long-awaited calm. In truth, thinking really wasn't his thing, but now that there was so much silence going on, it was hard to avoid it. He ran a hand through his perfect hair. _I mean, it'll get easier and stuff. It's just a caravan trip. For the rest of my life. With these two. It's better than life back home, at least. _His steps slowed to a stop at this, then he kept going, pushing the thought far, far aside. _Hm... they don't seem too horrible... maybe I was wrong about them._ Maru shivered after the idea occured to him. Had he seriously just thought that?

_No. I was right about the both of them. I was just seeing a different side of them, that's all. _

_...I wonder what they think about me right now._

Ah, the elusive question. It was something all of them had thought, an insecurity all had dealt with, some more easily than others. Maru in particular was having trouble. After all, he had never been accepted before, not that he would ever admit it... or realize it.

_Korrin's not too bad. Just... too serious and mature, though thoughtful. And... Jade._ He scoffed to himself, picking up an apple from a nearby stall. _Now that I've been forced to get to know her, I guess she isn't just a punching bag anymore._ He paced on. _But it's not like she's likable, either. Psh. She still hates me, not that it matters._

Since he had spanned the familiar town once now, he was getting rather bored of simply walking, but there wasn't much left to steal. Jade and Korrin were nowhere in sight, so he stopped to 'converse' with a few townspeople. It produced nothing interesting. Maru began wandering some more. A solid shape came up before him, and he stumbled back, mumbling a half-hearted apology. To his surprise, the form was oddly Yuke-shaped, except for the various packages piled on top of it. Peeking around the burden, Maru found Korrin hidden behind, obviously overloaded. Maru rolled his eyes, realizing with relief that his thought session was coming to a close.

"Yuke, I knew you took on too much at one time, but really, do you have to apply that to _everything_ you do?" Korrin grunted and the two headed just out of town to load up the caravan. Korrin's load was much lighter, but they were still both carrying a huge quantity of boxes, which puzzled Maru. As they pushed the last few boxes in, Maru opened the edge of one very stealthfully and glanced down into it.

"Is this all... dry food?" he said in disgusted awe, opening the lid fully to get a better look. Korrin abruptly stopped dusting his hands off, probably due to Maru's offending tone.

"Yes. Is that a problem?"

"Well, no, it's just-"

"OH MY GOSH YOU GUYS LOOKIE I FOUND THE MOST PRETTY THINGS EVER!"

Korrin and Maru turned from their would-be bickering to stare.

Jade giggled.

Maru twitched.

Twirling around once and striking a pose, Jade showed off the various bangles and charms hanging from her arms and neck. The sparkles that radiated off of her were enough to blind any unprepared passerby. "Whatcha think?"

Korrin seemed frozen. "Jade... how much gil did that all cost...?" Maru's eyebrows had disappeared under his hair. In the back of his mind, he remembered subconsiously swiping a few of those very objects while on his stroll, but she was wearing more than he could ever fit in his pockets.

Jade smiled widely. "No gil needed!"

Korrin groaned. "Jade..."

"I just told them I was the princess of Leuda on a visit, and they started throwing this stuff at me! It was great!"

Both Maru and Korrin reacted immediatly. Korrin's jaw dropped and Maru began packing up the caravan at an alarming speed. Looking innocently at the madly moving blur that was the Selkie, Jade questioned, "Hey, Maru. Whatcha doin'?"

"Those merchants were Selkic," he said with a grunt, stuffing the last of the packages into the caravan and jumping onto the board he usually did. "I know my kind has a... mixed reputation, but they aren't _that_ stupid. Soon, they'll realize..."

"Oh," was all she said. Korrin and Jade stood stupidly staring up at Maru stared stupidly back down at them.

"I see the two of you want to be reduced to Orc meat... alright! Let's go, Harold!" Maru cracked the reins and the papaopamus began at its usual slow, trudging pace. This seemed to wake the two of them up. Scurrying to catch up with the caravan, Korrin and Jade each grabbed onto an outstretching piece of wood just as Harold began waking up. The three of them sped onward, into this distance.. .into the Mushroom forest.

Needless to say, a certain group of Selkie merchants were on a sharp lookout from that point on.

--------------------

Her eyes widened as she shot forth, her arms trailing behind her as she ran. Panicking slightly, Korrin seized the chalice, zooming closely behind her. He was barely able to keep Maru inside the circle while doing so. "Jade! _Jade!_" he yelled, panting heavily. The pollen in the air made it thick, and along with the high humidity, it wasn't exactly an easy task to breathe. Jade ueetskidded to a stop, unaware there was a problem. "Yes?"

"Don't do that!" he heaved, setting the chalice down. "You're getting me worried!" Jade laughed and shifted her sword and shield to one arm.

"Don't be silly," she stated matter-of-factually, the free hand on her hip. "We've fought plenty of monsters before! Staying inside the circle is no big deal when there're things to be slain."

"Yes, but they get more powerful the further along we go." Maru walked up, looking slightly irritated as he fixed his ruffled clothing. She shrugged.

"But we get stronger, too."

"Be on your guard," Maru demanded. There was a note of silence between the three, though screeches echoed eerily in the background. Monsters danced at the edge of their vision, cackling secretly to themselves amidst the darkness. The mushrooms began to grow.

"Have I ever told you that one story my mother taught me?" Korrin said nervously, beginning to get a little creeped out. There were growths everywhere he had only seen in textbooks, and though it was tempting to stop at the side and gaze at them, the fleeting shapes around them gave him the shivers. He had never been afraid of the dark or the creatures that dwelled in it, but the shadows surrounding the bases of the mushrooms were just too intimidating.

A few feet away, Jade jumped at the sound of his voice. "N-no, I don't think so."

"People used to be born in this forest, by the mushrooms."

It was growing darker. Maru smirked, though no one could quite see it. "Instead of their mommies and daddies?"

"Yeah. That's where babies came from when I was young. I would get really freaked out, too, when I thought about giant mushrooms eating my soul up and spitting me out as a baby." Maru chuckled at this, and even Jade gave a tittery kind of giggle. Korrin pretended to be offended.

"Hey! You were kids once, too!"

"No, I popped out of an egg!" Maru shot back, still laughing, "Wait... no! I came from the mushroom FOREST!" All three of them now burst out into their own brand of glee, eluding the creepiness of the forest. A few muttered comments about Korrin's silly childhood fantasy, then an idea boiled up that Jade couldn't help but express.

"Korrin... where DO Yuke babies come from?"

There was a brittle silence for a few seconds, and then all three of them burst out into peals of laughter. Maru held his sides, leaning over as he struggled for breath. At first, Jade was confused and slightly hurt, but then she began to giggle, slowly at first. Korrin was clutching the chalice against his body, unable to stand up straight any longer. The three of them actually stopped in the middle of their quest to get a hold on themselves, which took almost four minutes with the after effects.

Then they realized where they were again.

"...at least the River Belle was lit..."

It was said mostly to himself, but Jade and Korrin nodded vigorously in agreement. They walked on for awhile, occasionally stretching their arms, all pondering various different things. Jade silently remebered that her question was still unanswered. Korrin wondered whether it would be smart to answer her question... ever. Maru was thinking up the various ways it could be possible, for he had no idea himself.

The process of melting into the caravan lifesyle had begun.

"AIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEH!"

Her screech rang out louder than anything else that had been heard that entire morning, even considering their earlier outburst of utter amusement.

"ITSA MONSTER GERAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!"

Maru shot a Focus Attack as the Clavat warrior quivered in wide-eyed fear. At that very moment, Korrin landed a Fire spell, and the fiend exploded and died. Jade stared with wide eyes, then began to giggle.

"Hee. Hee, hee."

Korrin walked up to stand beside her, looking at the split path before them. "This is gonna be a looooong journey..." Maru followed and stood beside him. "Yeah, it is."

And it was.

Because of the many twists and turns involved in finding the end of the Mushroom Forest, the group got lost, multiple times. With getting lost came more monster encounters than usual, and with monster encounters came frustrations. Frustrations caused tension. This particular caravan didn't exactly have room for any more tension than they already had, amongst each other or with the world.

"Yevon DAMNIT, Maru!" Jade yelled as she shoved him aside, taking the blow for the poorly-armored Selkie. "Stay. where you're. supposed. to be!"

_A fact learned only while caravanning: Some pleasant people are just plain pissy during battle. Yes, it IS physically possible for them to get angry. _

"It's not like you can be in five places at once!" Maru bit back, whacking the spikey tentacles that came flying at him from the base of the spinning Ochu. For embarrasingly ballerina-like creatures, they were actually rather harmful. He flipped back to dodge the next shot, then charged and shot at the creature's weaker underside. It collapsed onto the ground with a fearsome cry and burst into a pile of ash. A few moments afterward, there came a few more sounds of similar explosions, signifying Korrin and Jade's finshing blows. Maru surveyed their work with his wrists on his hips. "Not shabby, not shabby at all," he encouraged, leaning down to pick up and dust off a nice-looking piece of metal. Korrin stared, and Jade turned her wrath upon the Selkie, just as she always did.

"Excuse me?"

Maru looked up in response to the Clavat's question, pocketing the Mythril. "What?"

"Not shabby?" she asked, rolling up one of her sleeves and clenching her teeth. "Maru, what are you even TALKING about?! You're just... gaah! It's- GRR!"

Maru stared at her, eyebrow kit together. "What the hell are you even saying?"

The usually-cheerful Clavat threw down her weapon and stomped. "I just don't know!" she moaned. The two males stared at her, each wondering if her odd outburst was due to womanhood and other such subjects. She sniffled, which gave them no hint, and stared down at her feet.

In actuality, it wasn't that time of the month, she was just irritated. Maru had always been a thing to vent at, and now that he was being so cheerful, she just couldn't bring herself to yell at him. Contrary to popular belief, she wasn't happy all the time. _I bet he doesn't even know he does this to me,_ she moped inwardly._ Stupid Selkie._ Then, she sighed at herself, picked up her weapon, and decided it was time to act Jade-like again.

"Okay!" she said with bounciness, and suddenly, it seemed very odd that such a gentle creature was weilding such dangerous weapons as a sword and shield. Korrin shook his head, clearing his mind of any negative thoughts on the girl. "Oooookay... let's just... keep going, shall we?"

The other two nodded and onward they went. After two or three crossroads, a few monsters, and a chest or two- "Hey! Maru, no fair, you opened the last one!" "Get over it, the healing magicites are mine anyway." "But Maaarruuu... Korrin, Maru's stealing my-" "You two, p-_lease_!" -they stopped to rest. Everyone lounged around, regaining their energy, and nibbled at the overabundance of food that was stuffed into their packs. After awhile, though, Jade began to get fidgety.

"Are we going yet?" she asked impatiently, standing. Maru and Korrin exchanged uneasy looks, then Korrin looked down and Maru looked up at her. "Look, Jade, we're lost." She blinked. "Okay, so let's go! The-"

"No, we're seriously lost."

"Bu-"

"Jade! We're lost! Okay? Is this making its way through your skull? We need to find out where we're going before-"

"BUT THERE'S A BIG CREEPY-LOOKING ENTRANCEWAY RIGHT THERE!" the Clavat shouted over the inattentive Selkie, pointing behind her. Maru leaned to one side to look in the direction she pointed, and Korrin leaned the other.

"Huh, the Clavat's right!"

"There was a door there the whole time...?"

As the two males muttered to themselves and stood, attempting to gather their dignity, Jade smiled and helped pull Korrin up. "I wonder if this thing'll be hard to beat?" she pondered, weaving her thumbs under the straps of her pack once everyone was up and ready to go. Maru shrugged and Korrin didn't respond, putting out the tiny fire he had managed to conjur up. Taking a deep breath, Jade began marching into the deep, dark cave before them, confident that they would be together and able.

---

"Look out!" he screeched, swinging his racket at one of the seemingly thousands of tentacles flying his way. Jade sprung from the ground, which carried her a good distance, until she was tripped by another deathly appendage. The creature before them began squeezing. Jade let out a terrifying cry, struggling against the bonds of the beast, losing breath by the second.

"Nnnn...yah!" Korrin yelled without realizing it, landing a burning ball of fire upon the plant's base. Its screeched mirrored that of Jade's, though had a sanguine edge to it that slithered its way into their hearts and chilled them far more than the girl's did. It dropped her, however, and as she stumbled forth, Maru hit her with a Cure. Then, the girl was sent back into the front lines of battle. Korrin exterminated a few little plants that sprouted up around the battle area, beginning to realize what true exhaustion was. It was hard to believe they had been afraid of the crab back at the River Belle once they compared it to this thing.

This particular fiend had appeared in a most fascinatingly parasitic way, sapping its strength from the mushrooms around it and growing in size. It stayed rooted to the ground, thankfully, but mini-plants popped up around it, increasing the amount of enemy to deal with. It was a horrific beast. Its mouth was known to be huge and gaping in legend, but even the frightening tales did not compare to the gaping hole filled with jagged teeth that roared a disgusting scent at the trio. It had a thousand eyes, a thousand tentacles, a mile of stretched gums and a pointed, devilish tongue. Its poison was potent enough to kill in a matter of minutes if breathed or injested. It was a model of poisoned glee, but they could overcome it.

"Jade!" Maru yelled, throwing another Cure her way. A tentacle had nearly sliced through her entire foot. Luckily, it had only taken half. Chest heaving from the strain of intense pain to intense healing, Jade shot forth to attempt to kill the creature again, silently and unconsciously wondering how she was the one that ended up the tank. Continuing to hack away mercilessly at the beast, she began to realize how wet she was, and how purple everything was suddenly looking.

Then, it stopped time.

Unable to do much, Jade stood, frozen, caught within the binds of the creature's spell. She didn't really mind it much, until a giant, sticky, skin-dissolving tentacle came flying out at her from an angle she couldn't block. A cry of anguish ripped through her body, tearing at her throat and causing tears to spill out of her eyes. It burned. Where was the burning coming from, anyway? It seemed like her whole body was being pumped with some kind of acid, which it probably was. Looking down, a severed tentacle lie across her hip, breaking down tissues beneath. A flash of white bone caused the young woman's eyes to roll up into her head, and, in turn, for her to roll back completely, collapsed upon the ground.

"Jade!" Korrin and Maru cried in unison, the two reaching out in her general direction. Maru scowled and seized his hand back, powering up a spare Fire that Korrin had not had enough room for. Landing yet another flame-filled spell, Maru began charging a Cure as Korrin rushed to help the poor Clavat up. She was, however, still frozen, but within moment was back again. Tentacles raged around them as Maru finally managed to aim and fire his healing spell, and the two were absorbed temporarily in a small streams of light. Nothing out of the ordinary.

But, Jade was already dead.

They had no Phoenix Downs, no Lifes. They had no magical fruit of lore, or a ring that allowed them to raise the dead. They had nothing but a fallen comrade and an enraged, overgrown plant with too many sharp pokey things coming out of it.Narrowly avoiding a new spew of poison mist and mucus, Maru and Korrin exchanged glances before beating the monster to a bloody pulp.

Jade didn't stir when the ashes of the exploded beast floated down and brushed across her face. A tiny light and a familiar shadow stood over her, staring around at the carnage, the blood, and the battlefield. It waves in Korrin and Maru's direction, then started off to the mailmoogle. Staring in bewilderment, Korrin and Maru quickly dug through the ashes and selected a few of the artifacts that remained there, then shot after the bouncing light.

"J-Jade!" Korrin called after it, sprinting as fast as his Yukish legs could carry him. The shadow stopped on the top of a hill, giggled, then waved again, heading for the myrrh tree.

Maru hobbled afterward, barely able to keep up. The Crystal Cage was a heavier burden than most realized.

---

"I don't want her spirit haunting us forever!" Korrin ranted, pacing as he took his mail from the moogle. No one seemed to be listening to him, but he felt like the world was. "Can you imagine, day and night, realizing that she's dead and looming over us?" He tossed a piece of unopened mail over his shoulder, causing a small dust cloud to bloom up once it hit the ground. Maru continued reading his mail, then scratched down a reply and handed it back to the Moogle.

"I mean, Maru, that's like putting the food just out of our reach! Like... spoons that are too long, or, or, I don't know!" Maru nodded simply, tinkering with the envelope his letter came in. His eyes were dancing.

"Just... just look at her," Korrin said with a little bit of desperation in his voice, gesturing to the shadow that waved at him in response. "Isn't that just so... so... so pitiful? So un-Jade?"

"It looks pretty Jade-like to me," Maru said in response, crunching on an apple he had found in his pack. "It's skinny enough, it's flat enough, and it's shaped like Jade. Besides, who else would wave at us constantly while dead?"

Korrin continued to stare, wondering with a grimace what kind of lonely pain Jade must have felt. The shadow skipped over and waved with her left hand instead of her right.

Rolling his eyes at himself and his comrades, Maru finally turned the envelope he was messing with upside down and out popped a Phoenix Down. "Yuke," he said casually, waving it in the air.

Korrin simply grunted, focused on the ground the spirit was floating above, wondering is she felt lonely, being unable to speak and all.

Sighing and reluctantly rising, Maru walked up to the shadow, concentrated a few moments, and threw it onto her. The down scattered like dust above the spirit's form, then meshed together around the spirit. Within moments, there was Jade, fully clothed and armed, her pack sitting right beside her. With a smile, she hopped, skipped, and jumped over the to the mailmoogle.

Korrin stared. Maru smirked. Jade giggled.

Maru twitched.

"Got any mail?"

----

_My lovely Jade,_

_I wish to start off by saying... thank you. The money helped us immensely. Things are going in a steady downhill path, it seems, and its not the miasma that's causing it- I don't think any of us do. But please, don't worry. Your job is to keep our town alive, and that's all I expect you to do. Don't worry._

_Your siblings are doing very well, dear, and I'm glad to hear that your companions and yourself are getting along well. About Maru, ahaha. Things will get better between him and you. There's some village gossip going around about his parents, and things simply aren't good in his life. This caravan is something he needed, I suppose. I don't think you would remember, but at one point in time, you two actually played together frequently, before Korrin came. You and Trywn and Maru, inseperable. Just... try to have patience. Everyone has a different story, remember? And Korrin. Ah, he's always been such a nice boy. I'm glad to see that he doesn't have some deep, maniac-side to him. His family came here years ago, I'm sure you remember that. I'm not sure why, though... so, I don't know._

_I'm just glad you're bonding, Jade. These people will stay with you the rest of your life. Please, take care, and remember: Don't worry, and have patience!_

_-Momma_

**Mom,**

**Downhill... you're sure you're okay? Oh, I don't wanna stop carvanning, ever, but I really wish I was there with you guys. I miss your warm bread... Korrin can't cook at all. I swear it. We've been eating bread and apples and stuff for the past few days, and dry foods, and I think I saw five different colors on one of my slices. Yick. Anyway, please take care, okay? I don't you guys dead or anything!**

**I never knew Maru was like that. Seriously, his house is dark all the time and stuff, and his father's kinda grumpy and I've never seen his mother and his siblings I think those two may be doing bad stuff with each other, but really, it can't be that bad, right? I mean, it would explain why he's the way he is and stuff. So... maybe. My hand's kinda shakey... oh, and, Korrin's still doing lovely. He let us stop by Marr's Pass, and I found a buncha jewelry just lying on the ground. I'll send a few pieces. They're really shiny and look expensive. I'm sorry my letter's kinda short today, but we have to go, and I have another thing to answer!**

**Love you, Mom!**

**-Jade**

**-**

_Dear Maru whateveryoursecondnameis,_

_Your letter was extremely boring. When I read it, I had to like, read it over five times to fully understand what you meant. You're cold, you know that, right? I mean, what's the harm in opening up to your fellows? Seriously, get a grip. You've always been pissy, but I never knew that reaching out would make my hand run into a brick wall._

_If everything's mediocre, then why did you go caravanning in the first place? There has to be SOMETHING interesting going on, with Jade or Korrin or something. You never really liked those two. Something HAD to spark. If it's romance, please, gimme the gory details. Pllleeeeaaaasseee?_

_Write back._

_-Deti Ona_

**Ona,**

**You're very persistant, you know that?**

**-Maru**

**-**

_Dear Korrin,_

_Hey, buddy! How're things? Your younger brother sent a letter awhile ago, so I figured you'd enjoy that, but now it's my turn. Ah, I really hope your carvanning has been wonderful! Things have been a bit lonely here without you, but, ya know, we've been getting along. Actually, things are goin' kinda uphill- from where they were, at least. Your older brother's getting the hang of the Alchemy business, and your younger brother's beginning to make new friends aaaall around the village. There's a spark of magic in the air and, oh, it's just great! Your mother even went outside yesterday._

_I've been cooking a lot lately. Things are going great. I really hope your travels are going well, and you're getting along with your companions. From your friendship with Jade, it couldn't be too bad!_

_With Love,_

_-Dad_

**Dad!**

**Hey! Wow! It seems like forever since I last saw you. Um... things are goin' great out here. We're slaying monsters, I'm learning a lot, and everyone's fine. Maru took a little while to get outta his shell, but now I see right through him, and he's really not that bad a guy. Jade's same ol', same ol', the best of the best, of course. I'm glad to hear that things are going fine. Jade's mom seems to be having a hard time or something, because everytime Jade reads one of her letters, she gets kinda ashen. There, she did it again! I just hope everything's all right for everyone else. And it's good to hear that Mom's up and about. And the sibs. And... um... stuff.**

**Yeah, I've gotta go. There's a world to be saving, you know!**

**-Kor**

**-**

_Oh, Jade,_

_You made me smile, Jade. I'm not acting any differently than I usually do, am I? If so, I didn't know until you mentioned something. Then again, with each day you near, I feel like I'm spiraling higher and higher, into the clouds. Have you ever flown, Jade? Even in dreams? It's the most exhilirating feeling ever. Walking on air. Swimming in pudding. Falling in love. I mean, it's just... man. Everything's going so well for me. I mean, for the most part. Things are getting kinda tense here at the village, but soon, that'll all be fixed. I'm just glad you're excited for my surprise. It's taken a lotta work and nerve, but finally, I've done it. Also, Deti Ona's off my back, for the time being, at least. She's been writing letters like crazy and doing all sorts of weird things in her own house. It's a nice change, but still, it's kinda worrisome, ya know? I can only imagine what she's doing up there..._

_Anyway, I'm glad to hear you're enjoying yourself, and everyone's nice. If Maru lays a finger on you, I'll kick his ass if you want me to. :) Haha, just like old times. We left Maru hiding behind that rock with that game of tag, remember? He cried, too. And, hey, I wasn't crying! I was just whining. Yeah. Well... again, good luck on your quest. Just don't get killed out there, and I'll be happy!_

_-Trywn_

**Hey, Trywn!**

**Wow, what an entrance. That entire letter was like, a flashback thing for me. I know you like, feel a lot and stuff, and I'm glad you're expressing it and... yeah. You're really open, ya know that? Heehee. I'm just glad to see you're happy and stuff... yeah. Falling in love? You, in love? Aww, Trywn, no wonder you're so worried about Deti Ona! I hope that all goes out well. And I'm getting more and more excited for that surprise!**

**Oh, I don't think you'll have to worry about Maru. He's very tame, it turns out. He'll only get angry if you touch his hair or something. Some things never change. Heehee. I won't be getting killed, either.**

**Please keep writing! It gets lonely out here. The world's so... quiet.**

**-Jade**

-

_Dear Korrin,_

_Hi. I know, I'm the last person you'd expect to write to you, but it's really important. Krisni is actually here helping me write this. Lately, we've been conducting some experiments, and Trywn is doing something dangerous. Okay, I know that doesn't help you much, but still, it's about Jade. We figured we'd better warn you. Warning her would make a huge mess, and warning Maru is just pointless, so we didn't even hint. Anyway, beware. It's something big. That's really all we've got._

_Don't reply. We won't write again._

_Deti Ona and Krisni_


	4. 3: Mine of Cathuriges

Okay. So. It's been... much too long, but here I am again, posting this chapter. In all this time I've plotted out and written a good portion of a novel, developed some other parts of my brain, met an awesome English teacher, and have done a nice amount of things with my life. Today, however, school is out due to an ice storm, and in this time I've beaten Rule of Rose, started reading another fanfiction, and have been disappointed by an internet drop. I've felt listless and my novel is currently on my dark list, as I have experienced a number of disappointments with it lately. Well, while the internet was up I saw that I've received two more reviews, which reminded me that I have a great piece of work here which I just sort of dropped. Writing this has helped me regain some sense of purpose. Yaaay! Purpose! The only thing I'm worried about now is whether my writing has changed too much- I've lost some of the child-like, simple but so true, excitable-ness that usually characterizes my writing, but at the same time, I have gained so much. Hopefully it evens out, and you all are satisfied.

Thank you so much for being awesome fans. I hope I won't disappoint.

Also, wow. I totally just wrote the entire Marr's Pass section and looked back to see I had put it in the past chapter. Ha... hahaha... okay...

**Warning**: This chapter is terribly short. Embarrassingly short. But the next chapter will be posted shortly, which is long, so... yay! Also, please inform me if it's hyperbolic. I'm a little moody, but I really wanted to get this posted. Alright, here we go!

**Chapter 3**

**The Mine of Cathuriges**

_When the grandfather of my grandfather's grandfather was still a child,_

_no one in this land could challenge the might of the Lilties._

_They forged weapons of iron to bring the world under their dominion._

_But eventually the mine was exhausted,_

_and the Lilites' unstoppable conquest ground to a halt._

_The Lilties' ambition vanished along with the iron. _

_They abandoned the mine, where the monsters now thrive_

"Wherever there is light, there is shadow. I wonder if we'll ever be rid of their menace," Korrin recited, shutting the book with finality. "The Mine of Cathuriges."

"Wow. I see Krisni as a whole new person," Jade said, marveling at the grand structure that was the mine. "Lilties? World conquest? Who would've thought?"

"With her aggressive behavior, I'm not surprised," Maru muttered to himself.

"It's funny, how knowing a little backstory can really change perspective," Korrin said, safely packing the book away. The trio was checking their supplies, equipment, and other such things, tying Harold down and generally preparing themselves for the challenge that loomed ahead, because, according to their trusty journal, it was going to be quite a challenge. The bursts of hot air that the entrance occasionally belched affirmed this.

"Is this our last drop?" Korrin asked as they started down the trail to the Mine. Jade looked over at him, but he was staring straight ahead, into his own thoughts. They all knew what the last drop meant, and knew it well. For Korrin, home meant facing his brothers and father, showing them that he deserved the spot that he was randomly appointed. Maru knew that home meant pain. Jade knew that home meant family, and warmth, and love, and all of them knew that home meant Trywn's little "surprise" unveiled. Jade clutched her weapons closer just thinking about it.

"Yeah, I think this is gonna be it," she affirmed after the uncomfortable fizzle in her chest died down. Their crunching footsteps slowed as they neared the entrance, the gravel beneath them changing slowly from light, dusty brown to dark, almost coal-like pebbles and bits. It was getting very hot.

"Going back will be interesting," Maru stated, unbothered by voicing their silent worries. Jade shrugged and smiled, though her unease was seen in the way she rubbed her hand.

"Let's just get this over with, okay? Then we can worry about tomorrow and going back or whatever," Jade suggested.

Korrin nodded in agreement and even Maru shrugged his acceptance. They took a breath and ventured into the forgotten strength of a once-powerful empire.

* * *

"This place is creepy," Jade noted after awhile. Maru equipped a Life which had popped out of a recently-killed Orc.

"Dark and hot, yes. But personally I think the Mushroom Forest beats this place," Korrin attested. Jade laughed a little.

"Yeah, that definitely takes top."

"Orcs are ugly beasts," Maru said after the Life finally clicked onto his belt. "Come on, we've got to kill the rest."

"Don't forget about the cart," Korrin reminded as Jade and him walked onward. Maru set the crystal down and kicked the track switch. He watched as the course shifted, then gave the back of the cart a solid whack. The vehicle went flying along its track, crashing into a stack of crates that would've taken them hours to sort through and, on its way, nipping a lethargic Orc on the back of the leg. Sighing, Maru heaved the Crystal to its place above his head and walked until Jade could dive mercilessly at the creature. After Korrin landed a Thunder, and Jade, a Focus Attack, it fell, dropping a piece of Mythril along its way. Korrin pocketed it and the group ventured through the next tunnel.

Korrin, who was leading, stopped suddenly. Jade and Maru followed suit, Jade peeking around the Yuke to see what the holdup was. Nothing obvious existed, so she ducked around him and continued onward. A tug at the back of her neck prevented her from taking many steps further.

"Look," Maru hissed from behind her. She weaseled her way from his grasp, but this time, she did look.

It was huge. And rabbit-like.

"It's huge and... rabbit-like," Jade said, squinting to get a better look. It lumbered about, sniffing this way and that. A giant horn adorned its head and folds of something draped from its gargantuan body. It sniffed the air and Jade watched as it appeared to catch a scent. It took a step, and another, and soon, it was lumbering towards them at full speed, its weapon fisted and poised to strike.

"Oh Yevon," Korrin said, backing up, a Blizzard spell readied.

"I have the Life," Maru informed them as he stepped back. Jade blew her bangs from her eyes and gripped her sword. She stood there for a moment, watching as it careened wildly towards them, then sucked in a breath and-

"YAAAAAAH!" she screeched as she lurched forward, sword brandished and swinging wildly. The creature stopped for a moment, confused, then sent a similar battle cry into the air and charged.

"Oh Yevon," Korrin repeated with a little more desperation in his voice, eyes wide in fascinated awe at the two great forces of nature that were about to collide. Then, to the surprise of both the males, Jade veered to the left and allowed her sword to drag behind her at a precise angle. The creature wasn't quite expecting this either, and attempted to turn around to follow Jade, but instead, found many of its trinkets caught on the weapon, and much of its flesh following. Korrin had his Blizzard ready, but his gaze was flipping from Jade to the Orc, Jade, Orc, who were moving so quickly and strangely that he couldn't identify a safe place to land the blow.

Maru powered up a Cure just as the maddened Orc brought his hand back to land a crushing blow onto any part of Jade he could reach. Jade was merrily slashing away, practically glowing with joy for how light the weapon felt in her hand, how easily it cut. When a giant fist was brought down upon her sword-arm, though, she stopped, wide-eyed, and suddenly couldn't breathe.

Maru let loose the Cure that he had been holding just as Korrin landed his Blizzard. The creature froze, screeched, and was dead.

Korrin dusted himself off, sighing heavily as he did so. Maru picked up the chalice and brought it over a few more steps, just in case. Jade was dancing in success, any remnants of pain in her arm dissipated, or perhaps overridden by temporary, airy joy.

"See, that wasn't so hard," she said after she broke from her ending pose. She reached for the giant bag at the creature's side and pulled out a large slab with curvy designs all over it and the shape of a very fat crescent moon.

"What is it?" Korrin asked, stepping closer to look at the unknown slab. Maru drew closer as well, glanced at it, and shrugged his shoulders. Jade looked at its front, its underside, and spun it around, then shrugged herself. They all agreed that she could hold it, which she was happy to do. They walked a little further and found a lock, into which Jade reluctantly relinquished the key. The door creaked open and a blast of hot air met them. Jade spread her arms and ran straight into it.

* * *

"So, Mr. Moogle," Jade began, sipping her tea lightly as she sat, cross-legged and proper. "Why are you living here, in such danger?"

"Well, somebody's gotta live here, Kupo!" the thing said cutely. Its bonbon bobbed and Jade temporarily froze in her delicate tea-sipping.

"And let me guess," Maru put in, a finger wrapped around his half-empty teacup which moved along with his speech. "Rent was cheap."

"Well," began the moogle defensively, but after a few seconds of blank silence, it admitted sheepishly, "The rent-collectors all manage to get eaten on their way."

Jade and Korrin looked at one another and burst into a chorus of giggles. Maru sat back with a knowing smirk and finished off his tea in two gulps.

"Orcs are good for something, I guess," Korrin said, and the three others nodded in agreement.

After a few more exchanged words (and buttered biscuits), the three exited from the moogle home and back into the musty, dusty, cold, barren, monster-infested mines. With a stamp to show for it, of course.

* * *

It was a large room, very open and empty, and far at the end of it was a cavern that looked especially promising. Korrin even swore he could see a blue light reflected on the stones at the very end of the cavern, right where it turned. But, of course, there was an open and empty room to walk through first, and the heroes were never lucky enough to walk through one of those uninterrupted.

At first, though, things were looking hopeful. The entire group took one step forward, two, then shuffled a little further inside, gripping their weapons and glancing around rapidly. They reached the middle of the room, a record thus far, and stopped to appreciate the awesomeness that it was. This pause was their mistake.

A giant, decorated Orc fell from up above, the thunk enough to send anyone shaking and, since it almost squished them upon impact, they went stumbling. Maru's mouth pressed into a straight line as he noticed the various, lethal-looking pointy things and potions dangling from its belt. Korrin was more focused on the roar the creature was bellowing, and Jade simply couldn't take her eyes off the giant weapon in its grasp. It looked at them, sniffing the air with its crooked snout, and bellowed again from deep within its belly. Jade puffed her chest out and approached it, and it took a step to meet her.

"My FOOT!" Jade yelled suddenly, dropping everything to clutch her hurt appendage. She hopped around for awhile, her foot cradled nearly to her chest, until she realized something else.

"Owowowowowo… my _weapon_!" The Orc King didn't appear to recognize it had stepped on something until her screech. It brought its own foot from the ground and peered below to find Jade's sword sticking out like a toothpick from its calloused feet. It plucked the weapon from its place with a grunt and flicked it across the room. Just like that, Jade was defenseless.

"Jade!" Korrin yelled, firing his Blizzard. "Are you okay?"

"Not exactly," she said as she rushed past him, her shield up to her panicked eyes. Maru and Korrin exchanged looks and backed up a little further. Jade cowered behind them.

"What do we do?" Maru asked as he heaved the chalice up to avoid a hard swing.

"Something other than this!" Jade yelped as she dodged an attack specifically aimed at her. She shrunk even further behind her shield. Korrin, upon realizing how pitiful she looked, suddenly felt a flood of purpose fill him and an idea entered his head.

"Maru, give Jade your Cure," he commanded.

"What?!" Maru looked at Korrin like there were a few choice words he wanted to add.

"Just do it!"

Maru fumbled with the hooks on his belt until he finally unlatched the orb. He tossed it to Jade, who reached up and fumbled with it until it fell between her shield and her chest. She was temporarily mesmerized until yet another swing was sent her way, and she was knocked back, onto her butt. Meanwhile, Korrin and Maru consulted in a very hurried fashion, which consisted of a lot of yelling and a good amount of jumping around.

"Give me the chalice and fight," Korrin commanded. Maru instinctively curled the Crystal Chalice closer to him. He also gave Korrin a look which spelled out his thoughts fairly clearly.

"Oh, come _on!_" Korrin yelled in exasperation before seizing the item from Maru. "You wanted to be the fighter in the first place. Be a man!" And that was all the encouragement Maru needed.

The armorless Selkie stared up at an Orc King whose staff was glowing eerily. He looked back at Jade, who was glowing with the ready Cure, and to the monster in front of him, who was no longer muttering and was now looking at him in a rather threatening fashion.

"Maru!"

And the fire flooded his vision and seeped into the cracks of his head and burned into every bit of his being. He breathed it, and it scalded his insides, all the way to his stomach and back. He tried to speak, utter something, but all that came out was a crispy wheeze. He hurt. Badly.

Like a flash, he felt the sensation of melting ice cubes and silk dripping across his skin and caressing his insides, and the pain was gone. He looked down at himself in shock. Not a single scar or burn, not even a stray piece of ash lingering. Suddenly, the blown-up Selkie wanted to vomit, because he was overwhelmed by a feeling of smallness.

"Maru, what are you doing!?" Jade shouted from behind him. He wanted to turn, but he was readying himself to leap. "GET IN THERE AND BEAT TH-" But he already was.

There, in battle, as Maru whacked and grunted and lunged and fought, a profound feeling overtook him. He couldn't quite think about it, but it was for this reason that it was so wonderful, so important to him. This ­_thing_ in front of him was wicked, a reason for so much of the suffering he had endured. It was big, a leader, important, and the more he attacked it, the more the feeling grew. The tension in his muscles felt good- his quickness and reflex was automatic, but every time they kicked in, he felt it. A kind of pride, a kind of reason. One of those things people would stay in a caravan for, and something he had always yearned for, always.

Purpose.

"Oh my-! MARU! Get out!" He looked around and it occured to him that the light was blinding. In the slow-motion, fast-paced scheme of things, he had ignored the fluctuations of light, but now he saw just how bright it really was. And how he and the giant were the only ones in it. He let out a slow breath, squinting, then turned back to his target.

"Beat it! Hurry before it explodes!" Korrin yelled desperately outside the bubble, but his voice muffled to Maru's ears. The whole world seemed muffled now, growing hotter and thicker and the texture of badly woven grass. Beside him a Blizzard formed and began to melt almost instantly, though Maru leapt in just in time to make the attack an Icestrike. Then he went on with his driven, numbed task. It was hotter. It was drier. It was terrible.

"N-no! Don't let it... NO!" Maru recognized the voice as Jade's and paused to see what the commotion was about, since her voice carried a note of pure distress. Oh. The creature's staff was glowing. So that's where the annoyance was coming fro-

BOOMpshaassssh...

The staff exploded and sent the three bodies, their possessions, and one rather beaten Crystal Chalice flying through the air, and into several walls. The structure of the whole place shuddered and a few pebbles fell.

Then, the creature itself exploded, but by then, the three were already as far away as they could be. Once the ground settled again, there was movement.

"Aw, man!" Jade said, sitting up and sending several rocks tumbling. She rubbed her head and clenched her eyes open and shut, open and shut.

"Oww…" Korrin said, slouching down further against the rocky wall. Maru remained motionless, trying to recover his breath, staring up at the mine's roof. _It's almost supernatural_, he thought, dazed. But his mind-numbing drive was slowly fading, and nothing but a few frizzling sparks remained within him, which was more than he could claim beforehand..

"Is everyone… gonna… livvv…" Jade trailed off, pausing in her attempts to stand. She slouched against the wall, unable to finish her question.

Maru took a deep breath, his face returning to its original color as he rose and dusted himself off. He grabbed the chalice beside him which was, amazingly, still 2/3 full. Korrin, who had been at the edge of the circle, visibly relaxed. Jade's breathing evened, and she reattained the Cure from beside her and began tapping into it.

"They never said anything about all this when the crystal picked us," Korrin said. The chamber seemed larger without the creature in it, and the fact that his voice echoed slightly made it even bigger. Jade let loose two Cures and tossed the orb back to Maru, who caught it easily and began charging it for her. As she waited, Jade leaned down and picked up her weapon from beneath some stones. She shook it and sheathed it, heaving a sigh.

* * *

Korrin headed the procession into the Myrrh's hiding spot. Regardless of the dankness of their experience, the beauty of the tree burst like a ray of sunshine through the clouds above their heads. Korrin approached it, standing on a little stool for the task, and stepped back for the tree to work its magic. He thought about how it would be the last time they would feel it, at least for awhile, the pure serenity and harmony of the world that always lingered around the tree, as if the slivers of peace just migrated to the magical plant. As he thought, Korrin realized how strange it was that monsters, the pure chaos, wanted to be around it. Perhaps the soulless creatures were searching, just like they were. He looked up, and it was full.

"So, ready for the journey back?" Jade asked when Korrin stepped down

The three headed back through the empty mine after reading and responding to the mail. They saddled the papaopamus, not expecting how hard the road home would actually be.

* * *

_Dearest Jade,_

_Korrin can't cook? Oh, my! You'll have to invite him over for dinner sometime. I can teach him some of my secrets, if that would help you out._

_Darling, we're fine. We would be experiencing it even if you were here. The whole village is trying to adjust to everyone being gone, and how that makes everyone feel. It's rocky, but it will smooth out when it's time to._

_Marr's Pass? I've never been there. I've heard good things about it, and the necklace you sent me was gorgeous! I don't know when I could wear it around town without looking too flashy. Haha._

_You're growing up so quickly, Jade. Knowing thing about the village and its people, and handling it, is a sign of adulthood. But I'm afraid you already know many things, and I can't tell you many things, and, in the big picture, you're on your own. Of course, I always have something to say, but you've grown enough to really know and tell and think. And I know you can do it, even if you love to be happy. If you aren't careful, love, true happiness may slip away from you. Always think things through. Please, dear, it will usually help._

_I'm sorry, it must sound like I'm lecturing. I just don't have any other way to share with you. No more talks over kneading bread. No more talks in the garden, the fields. When are you coming home?_

_-Mom_

**Momma,**

**We're coming home. We're coming home! We fought today, a giant beast, and Maru had to take over, so I got to be healer. It was so cool! Magic is amazing, Momma, I don't know how to say it. This whole thing has been amazing for me. I mean, I love you, and I love home, but I love here, too. I just... love it.**

**I'll drag Korrin over sometime, maybe after the festival? We may be too tired then. Hey, you could wear your necklace there! It would look so pretty, all shiny in the fire, just like the crystal. I can't wait.**

**I still have plenty of time before the big stuff happens, Mom, and I'll notice stuff the more I grow. I **_**am**_** happy. All this growing up-talk...**

**Oh, I have to go. But, um, see you soon! Love you!**

**-Jade**

_Maru Butt,_

_I'm beginning to give up on you. You know, I thought that maybe if I could break through, there'd be a happy you inside, and everybody in the village would finally have some balance, 'cause you wouldn't be so hateful and things would be fine. That's all I want. Things to be fine. Big stuff is happening here, Maru. You aren't ready for it, none of us are, but especially you. You in your own little hole you've dug for yourself. You with your nose in the air. Why can't you see it, Maru? You can't see any of it! But you will soon. It's already too late. Trywn..._

_I'm sorry. I must sound sooo dramatic to you. Which makes me more unworthy, right? Well, whatever. I'm not done with you._

_Deti Ona_

**Ona,**

**I would appreciate it if you got your face out of mine, and out of my business. My life has nothing to do with yours, and your savior complex it not only immature, but terribly annoying. I am ready for whatever comes at me, I always am, because I am Maru. And you don't know who Maru is.**

**[Unsigned**

_Dear Korrin,_

_I'm glad to hear things are going so well. Here, with us, it's getting better by the day, and we can't wait for you to come home. I'm sorry to hear about Jade's mother... but you know we don't interact much. Korrin, we're Yukes. You of all people should be keenly aware of that._

_Anyway, I've finally mastered the soup! You remember, the secret recipe, back from Shella? It's THE Soup! You really need to come home sometime, very soon, we can all celebrate and be HAPPY together!! Your mother's smiling, the siblings are learning, ah, everything's great!_

_Write back!_

_Dad_

**Dad,**

**Um, yeah. Things are going great out here too. Adventure... knowledge. All that. We passed through Marr's Pass, and I got a good look at it again. Different from what I remembered.**

**So... yeah... we're coming home. Glad to hear that everyone's good. Um... yep.**

**Korrin**

_Loveliest Jade,_

_I love your letters, I really do. They brighten my day... though they always take so long. Is there any way you could write... more? I know it sounds crazy, but you aren't here anymore, we can't talk anymore. And I love it when we talk. Oh, I miss you, Jade. Are you coming home soon?_

_It's not Deti Ona I'm in love with, Jade. Write back soon._

_Yours Forever,_

_Trywn_

**Trywn,**

**Haha... I don't know what to say. But you're great. I miss you, too. We're coming home, really soon! Oh, and, I can't write back a lot. Sorry. The mail-moogle only visits us after we get some myrrh, and we only need three drops before we come home. So. Yeah.**

**I'll see you soon. Take care!**

**-Jade**

* * *

They walked and, as usual, did not talk. They did not talk often on any of their journeys, sometimes something about scenery, sometimes something about what was ahead. Often memories were shared. Life philosophies were brought up. But never did they talk about home. Or home's current issues.

Jade watched the shuffle of her feet and recognized how quiet it was. Thus far on their way back, they hadn't spoken. Not one word. They were reaching the hour point, which was usually the breaking point for somebody or other, but today, it was different. Today she felt a tilting feeling in her stomach. Today she wanted her mother more than ever, but the thought of her mother made her stomach tilt more. So, for the first time in two weeks, she broke out into something that they had all been waiting for, but had not wanted to initiate.

"I think Trywn's madly in love with me and I'm scared," she burst out. Korrin and Maru's eyes turned to her, and all was silent. Korrin took a step forward, arms extended.

"Jade?"

"My mom's talking about growing up and Trywn's like a love-sick puppy dog. Out here, it's easy to ignore. But I don't think I can. We're going home again."

"Jade," Korrin said, touching her just as he looked back at Maru. Maru looked, and felt, slightly sick.

Jade sat down on the caravan's wooden platform and took a long, deep breath, trying to compose herself. _Be happy,_ she urged._Come on. It'll be okay._

Korrin and Maru looked at one another again, just as unsure as before. This is either good or really bad, thought Korrin. But, regardless of what it was, he wanted to hug her. He climbed up onto the platform as Maru watched on, wrapped his arms around her, and waited. She began to sniffle, and then, cry.

"Jade... Jade."

"I'm sorry," she whispered, cupping her hands around her face. He sighed.

"It's okay," he whispered back, hugging her closer.

"I shoulda waited 'til it was just you and me," she insisted, still whispering. He shook his head.

"Nah. Remember how I said it would all come out? This is the first step."

She nodded into him and eventually, she quieted, though an occasional hiccup broke the silence. Neither Korrin nor Jade noticed that Maru had Harold walking at a slow pace, but now, they did. The Selkie's finely-groomed head was in front of them, guiding the reins patiently.

Korrin looked at Maru for a bit, trying to decipher whether or not he was listening. He didn't come up with an answer, and looked back down to Jade again.

"Caravans are complex. Being stuck with two other people, completely alone, takes something."

"Why did the crystal do this, then? Why... him?"

Korrin was quiet. He didn't know.

"I don't know."

There was a pause as this sunk in. Then, he added something.

"But the crystal did. So it's gotta be him."

Jade nodded at this obscure piece of knowledge and, after a few more seconds, lifted herself from Korrin's chest.

"If it helps, my dad's being so cheery, I dunno if he's even real. My mom's still... yeah, and my siblings are as supportive as a pile of feathers," Korrin admitted into the big, open world.

"Wow," Jade marveled. "That kinda sucks."

"Yeah. But at least I know what to expect when I get home," Korrin said.

Jade laughed a little. "Well, I dunno exactly what Trywn wants, but I kinda know." She paused. "I don't wanna grow up too fast."

Korrin nodded. They plunked on, Maru tugging at the reigns every once in awhile. Korrin eventually came down from the seat and looked at Maru. To his surprise, Maru looked back, and there was a kind of sadness in his eyes, genuine, deep sadness. Korrin turned from Maru's intense gaze to recollect himself, and they moved onward.


	5. 5: Sweet Home

So I started writing this on yet another ice day, the day after I started writing Mine of Cathuriges. It's finally done, about two weeks after.

It was those two reviews that encouraged me to finish this one up and submit it. THANK YOU **Inkmote** and **Astrum Aura!** Your commentary was invaluable, and, indeed, made me feel quite warm and fuzzy.

This chapter has to be my favorite thus far, hands down. It's really important for the characters and things to come. However, I must warn that the chapter after this will take much longer, and will probably be around the same length (7k rather than 8k, as many of the earlier chapters were). I just dunno how I managed to squish so many words into those past chapters! I'll have to think it out.

For my past readers, from this point on, things may be a bit different. I plan on plotting this out a lot better and bringing it to a satisfying conclusion, with less sudden plot growths and more awesomeness (Haha, specific, I know). This chapter also helped me realize a flaw with my book... I did not think all the supporting characters through before starting it, which is what I did for this one. I blame that factor on my semi-success.

Well, I hope you enjoy! Read and review! (You win in the end)

**Chapter 4: Sweet Home**

_I lived in a world of shortcomings_

_Splayed for the eye to see_

_A world of all-encompassing flaws_

_'Twas not a world for me_

-_sparklypiggy, "A World of Shortcomings"_

"Wow," Jade said, biting into her striped apple. Her face contorted in mild disgust for a moment, then went back to normal. "So, we've been walking for a few days now, so we should get back to Marr's Pass, right?"

"Yes," Korrin said surely.

"I just hope you don't act like you did last time," Maru grumbled. He was still grumpy regardless of their victory, stuck in a world which happened to be very, very cloudy.

"Yes, but it was fun," Jade said with a little bit of sheepishness. She looked up to see the puffy-clouded sky, which smiled at her.

"Hello, caravanners!" a familiar voice called. Jade froze at the sound of Sol Racht, knowing his inevitable companion, but to the company's glee, the moogle was absent.

"Hey Sol!" Jade called, waving cheerfully. The caravans met in the road.

"How are you?" the Lilty asked in his clear, deep voice.

"Just peachy," Maru mumbled.

"So, have you heard about the Black Knight?"

"The Black Knight?" Korrin asked, suddenly extremely interested.

"He's a mysterious fighter of sorts," Sol said. "He's a Lilty, you know. Very powerful, they say."

"Is that so?" Korrin said, drawing back a little, into his thoughts.

"Yes, yes. But be careful; we don't know how dangerous he is yet."

Jade nodded and Maru just crossed his arms. Korrin was fiddling with Harold's reins.

"If you meet up with him, please, tell me as soon as possible," Sol said with dignity, and the caravan departed.

"Hm," Jade said as she watched them go. "A mysterious knight from an unknown caravan? I wonder if we'll ever meet him."

"It's probably just a rumor," Korrin said.

They arrived at Marr's Pass. Before entering the town, Maru and Korrin had promised to keep Jade under control this time, but, unfortunately, it was a very hard thing to do without the use of violence. So Jade began poking things and the two boys followed, vigilant for merchant Selkies and lucky enough to never spot them. Once their fears were settled, Korrin began poking things, too, and soon they were laughing and talking as they finally exited the small town. Maru had a small smile on his face, Jade was still giggling, and Korrin felt very warm and fuzzy.

"So, back to the stream?" Korrin said suddenly after a few moments silence. That seemed to put the weight back on their shoulders. Their journey wasn't over yet.

* * *

"Look," said Jade, motioning toward the distance. A dark, ominous cloud was hovering above their peninsula. 

"It'll get better by the time we get there," Korrin promised, though had little belief in his own statement. They walked on until Korrin spoke.

"So," Korrin said nonchalantly. "How'd you think our first year went?"

"Rough, but interesting," Maru immediately responded. Korrin glanced over him and was going to respond when Jade started talking.

"I think it's gonna be harder next year, though. I mean, better in some ways, 'cause we aren't at each other's throats as much."

"That doesn't necessarily mean anything has changed," Maru cut in.

The silence following told Maru just how much his companions disagreed.

"I'm not exactly wanting to go back," Maru said slowly, the situation reminding him of a childhood episode in which he skittered, slipped, and finally fell on an ice-covered lake. The fall had hurt, and he had learned from it. "I like it out here. Less people. Less chaos, strangely enough. Purpose." He waited in one highly-strung moment of truth.

"Exactly," Jade agreed, and balance was fulfilled as they walked onward.

* * *

Another day went by. Another. They passed River Belle Path and were only a day away from home. 

"Haha! Look!" Korrin said, pointing to a road-sign. "We're actually almost there, ahead of schedule!"

"Really?" Jade asked, peering at the sign. Her face brightened with realization. "Awesome! ...Too bad those clouds haven't gone away yet."

"I'd say they're even darker," Maru commented, and Jade nodded.

Korrin gave a tittering laugh. "It'll be alright," he claimed, though the weight on his shoulders told him differently.

An hour passed.

"We can make it by nightfall, if we hurry," Korrin murmured quietly when they stopped to rest. Jade hopped up, splashing the contents of her cup across her companions' faces, cast everything aside, and made a bounding leap toward the caravan.

They ran the rest of the way, must to Harold's discomfort.

* * *

They didn't make it by nightfall, but the next day was close enough. 

"Home!" Jade cried happily, skipping and jumping around. She was laughing, her eyes closed, dancing some unknown and off-beat shuffle. "I'm home," she whispered, then turned to her two companions. Korrin was tending to the papaopamus as Maru unstrapped the Chalice from its perch. With a tilt of her head, Jade remembered how, at the start of their adventure, they would stop and watch her outbursts of emotions with confusion or amusement or whatever was befitting at the time. Now, they simply worked. A grin spread across her face at the sizzly, fuzzy feeling that had taken residence in her heart.

Korrin and Maru finished their tasks, taking their things as Jade had already done. Korrin dusted his large hands off as Maru flipped his hair out from underneath his backpack.

"Well, is everybody ready?" Jade asked, rising to her tiptoes and falling back again. The weight of her sword did not answer to the movement; their weapons and armor had been quietly slipped into their luggage upon entry into town. It seemed that everyone wanted to immerse themselves in the comforts of home, completely.

"As prepared as we're going to get," Maru said, hefting the rather heavy chalice above his head. Korrin simply walked up to her and patted her shoulder. They exited the stables, which were right at the edge of town, and the first person to greet them was-

"Deti Ona?" Jade said after a sudden halt. Maru's face paled. Korrin didn't notice the Selkie's presence until long after the others, but when he did, he shrank back immediately. The three were still within the distance that, if out in the wild world, would be safe.

"Nice to see you all, too," Deti Ona said, a hand on her hip and a curious smirk on her lips. The sight of the should-be dysfunctional group was entertaining enough for her to smile, even though she was not particularly excited to see them. That, and she noticed they had changed. They were smudged and tired, and watched her quietly, with their lips together and their eyes steadily upon her. They also seemed to be on one string; if Jade shifted her weight, Korrin or Maru would balance out, and they were all close, within a distance that would be uncomfortable for Deti Ona even with Trywn. For some reason, it made her grin.

After they exchanged polite smiles and nods, Jade walked past her as did Korrin, but at Maru's approach, Deti Ona dropped her polite stature and snatched his arm, whispering in his ear, "We need to talk. Now." He tore his arm from her biting grip, sneering at her, but she had hit the wall too many times. He started off, and she followed.

"It's about what Trywn's doing," she hissed as she walked backward, facing him. "I think you'd like to know. It's important that you know!"

Maru's nose rose further. "Trywn is Jade's problem. I don't care."

"You_will_ care when she comes back to you bawling her eyes out. This is really important, Maru," Deti Ona said. This was enough for Maru to stop, look at her, open his mouth, and then step around her.

"Damnit, Maru! Listen to me!"

"What's going on?" a curious voice asked.

"Hello, Jade," Maru said, his legs stiffening as he walked. Deti Ona watched him, open-mouthed, as he stared straight at Jade's face. "Deti Ona here was just talking about the Crystal Blessing tonight." Jade blinked and looked at him, trying to figure out what was in his eyes which were not, in fact, focused on her. She caught the tension, though, and turned to the female Selkie.

"Well, um, Deti Ona, we've all gotta go do caravan stuff. So you can talk to Maru a little later, we've just gotta... you know... check in and all that."

"Right," Maru said. He did not spare a single look to Deti Ona, who, after a moment of enraged silence, turned with a swish of her hair and hips. The three caravanners walked on with a tense, questioning silence.

"Isn't it weird?" Jade asked. Maru looked over at her, expecting some passive form of a question. Jade hesitated, and then said, "It's weird to have you guys more than like, a foot away. We're all walking in the circle right now. So weird!"

"Yes," Maru agreed with a forced chuckle. Korrin remained silent. The three made their way to the center of town, which seemed like a very small distance compared to what it used to be. As they approached, an invisible force seemed to grip Jade's heart and squeeze. The closer they got, the more aware she became of who would be waiting for them in the middle of the town, right by the elder's house. She noticed her companions shifting nervously, anxiously, and she felt a strange feeling of claustrophobia, like she was going to burst, like they were all going to burst, together, close.

"Jade!" a sweet voice called, and everybody froze.

Maru found a strange cross between a grimace and a sneer on his face, but he turned his head away purposefully. Korrin seemed even more silent, though he hadn't spoken a word since their entrance into town. Jade's mouth turned down slightly at the corners, and she felt the bubble burst, but her open-mouthed horror was forced into an open-mouthed cry of glee.

"Trywn!" she cried, starting toward him as quickly as he was flying at her. The met in a hug, a full-on hug, where he squeezed her so tightly that he picked her up off the ground, spun her around, and pressed their cheeks together. The faster they spun, the closer they were, Jade thought, _Always_. Always honest, always true. Always together, always right. Always.

"Jade, Jade, you're finally back," he whispered into the shell of her ear, and shivers ran down her spine at the utter intimacy.

"Um, yes," she responded, hoping with all of her heart that he didn't see it or sense it, didn't feel the hole in her tummy that was gobbling up the innocence and happiness she had saved her entire life.

"Nothing to say?" Trywn asked her companions after releasing her. His hand lingered cheerfully on her back, but she scooched away as he spoke to them.

"Nope," Maru said, examining his fingernails. His eyes flicked upward to the brown-haired, perfect Clavat that had Jade on edge. The man that didn't even realize the circle he had just smashed apart, flown into with good intentions and bad luck.

Trywn continued smiling widely, fakely, at Korrin and Maru. Beside him, Jade felt the color of the hole in her stomach turn to a sad sort of purplish blue, like the miasma that polluted the air of the real world. A few more moments of awkwardness were enough to put a blush on Jade's cheeks, then Trywn took her by the hand and said softly, "Come on, we've gotta talk."

Trywn led Jade inside his house and Maru and Korrin followed closely until they met a closed door.

"What... how... damn him to hell!" Maru bursted after backing up a few paces. He stamped the ground and suddenly wished that Deti Ona was there. She had answers, all the answers he needed right then. He looked at Korrin, whose arms were crossed, head down, still silent.

"I'm not the only one who senses the injustice here, am I?" Maru prompted. Korrin shook his head with one exaggerated, sharp, and final shake.

After a few moment's silence, Maru put the crystal down and was about to say something more when Trywn's father, mother, brother and sister emerged from the house. They were all wearing that same perfect, fake, utterly disgusting smile that Maru hated so dearly.

"Ah, the caravanners are back!" the father boomed, patting Maru a little too harshly on the back. Maru tried not to cough and bend over, and he managed a nod.

"How was your year?" the mother asked. Korrin heaved a great sigh with his body and then straightened into the mirror image the polite, politically-correct family in front of him.

"Oh, it was survivable. It's been a great adventure for all of us," Korrin's helmet turned to Maru meaningfully. "We learned a lot, right, Maru?

Maru nodded, plastering a satirical smile onto his face. "It's been life-changing and personality-swapping, to say the least. A lovely trip, with lovely sights, oh, yes, indeed."

Korrin, behind his helmet, was barely able to suppress a bursting laugh. The rest of the family, however, seemed to brighten up, as if recognizing one of their own. Maru didn't notice in the slightest. He was busy imagining what was going on in the house, and a small part of him still managed to wonder about his own family, whether or not they would be there to greet him.

Trywn's father laughed. "Maru, I remember you! I'd say your personality has changed plenty throughout the years, but you were quite the lad. The other day I was looking through some old photo albums-" began the man, and his wife gave him a worried look.

"-and you and Trywn would ride around on the cows all day, laughing and playing with the Moogle nextdoor-"

Maru, still unfocused, managed to catch the blatant error. He wasn't a child when he moved into town. "Excuse me, are you sure that wasn't Deti Ona? We looked much alike as children, you see-"

"Oh, oh no my boy! That child had not yet visited this village, let alone moved into it! You two were just a few years old, and I remember quite clearly!"

"Yes, obviously," Maru muttered to himself as the old man began describing an experience that was less than appropriate.

"-and you walked into the barn to ask Trywn to come play, but he wasn't there and instead there was a little calf just-"

"That's enough of that, dear," Trywn's mother soothed. "It's not best to talk about those things out lou-"

"Nonsense!" the man said cheerfully.

"How can we stop this?" Maru asked Korrin out of the corner of his mouth. The booming man in front of them did nothing for the tension.

Korrin shrugged. "We'll just have to wait for the two to… finish," he said quietly.

As if on cue, Jade burst through the door. Her eyes were wild and her cheeks were red in broken, splotchy patterns. Horrified, both Maru and Korrin took an involuntary step forward. Korrin expected a sob to slip through her lips, Maru, a rant, but either way, Jade stumbled toward then and the three made a run from the perfect family and the perfect house, into the town square. By they time they arrived at the crystal, Jade was breathing in gasps, and her hands were quivering. Korrin rubbed his hand across her shoulders and made strange, soothing noises, while Maru walked unnaturally close, glancing around and sometimes down at her. She was pale and quiet, utterly quiet, and to the companions, this was worse than any tear she could shed.

Jade was just glad that they didn't ask questions, because she could still feel his skin against hers and hear the words he spoke.

Maru began whistling, the tune one he didn't quite remember, but was fitting. So he whistled, and they listened, and they all walked. They reached the elder's house and Korrin looked at Jade and she nodded, so Maru knocked and they waited. The old man greeted them with shining eyes and pride emanating from his person, a pride that seeped into them on the surface, but not deep down, like it should have. Yes, they knew the service they provided. Yes, they were saving the lives of their families and friends and the village, they were utterly important, they knew. The first year was always the toughest, and they survived. Yes.

"Go home, see your families. The celebration begins in a few days!" the old man said with a toss of his hand as he saw them to the exit. They each went their separate ways, though none wanted to go home.

* * *

"I'm home," Korrin called into the silent household, dumping his heavy load in the entryway of his home. He looked around suspiciously, knowing that, in this house, silence meant danger. He looked to the ground and above him before he took a step closer, and then, they sprang. 

"Welcome hooome!" his family chorused, his father's voice prevailing. Korrin smiled at the Yukish confetti that showered over him. Then, something slammed against his gut, and he was temporarily unable to think.

"Kooooorrrin!" his little brother squeaked. Though Korrin felt his little brother's hand search his pack, Korrin still appreciated the hug. Then, his older brother approached, and, to Korrin's great surprise, hugged him. The three brothers were squashed together for a brief moment before things returned to normal, each dusting themselves off and keeping a set distance between. His father approached him and hugged him with enthusiastic words, and at last, his mother fell into his arms, her hug, for once, more than limp arms draped over shoulders. He felt her slight squeeze, and he closed his eyes tightly to keep in the overwhelming everything, and hugged her back.

* * *

"Honey, you can't take it like this," Trywn's mother soothed, rubbing his back. Trywn sat on his couch, hands on his face and pushing his wholesome-brown hair into a messy tangle. He shook his head and stood, paced, then sat again. His mother sat, watching him. 

"I don't get it. It was all supposed to work, Mom!" he shouted, and, when his voice cracked, he sat down again. She rubbed his back once more.

"It was all very sudden for her. I don't know if today was the right day, right when they got home..."

"But I've waited so long. Years, Mother! This is what I've wanted, always!"

"I know, honey, but you must have patience. These things take time. She might not even know what she's feeling right now."

"How could I have been so sure, then? For all this time? How have I known?"

His mother paused in her actions and speech.

"I don't have all the answers, Trywn."

"Well, that's all I need right now."

He got up and left. His mother stared at the door after it slammed and gripped her skirt.

"I don't think you know what you need, son..."

* * *

Maru opened his house to hear silence. No one was in the kitchen, or the living room, which were right by the front door. He set his things down and walked into the kitchen, then sat down at the table, scooted his chair in, and waited. 

Nothing.

The Selkie brought his hands to the surface of the table and folded them. He listened closely to the sounds of the ceiling and the floors, closing his eyes to better do so. No movement in the twins' room, which was directly above him. They were probably out somewhere doing something. Slight creaks were coming from upstairs, too heavy to be his father. As he strained his ears, he heard the distant sound of metal against metal, and knew his father was in the shop at the very back of the house.

For awhile, he sat, pushing his thumbs together and releasing them. He thought of Jade, and Deti Ona, and Korrin, but never for long.

He stood up, pushing the chair up, climbed the stairs, and met his mother. Her tired face was marred only by the dark circles under her eyes and the yellowing bruise on her right cheek. Maru reached out and touched the bruise, and she sucked in a breath, before he hugged her and she hugged him. They stood there, cradling each other, for such a long time that the crushing and indecipherable pain in Maru's chest died down to a dull throb. He kissed her unscarred cheek, turned away from her quivering form, and went to unpack.

* * *

Maru looked over at Korrin in the distance, the Yuke sitting on his porch, innocently reading a book. Maru sat on a stump at the base of the slight hill which Korrin's house sat upon. 

Maru clenched his teeth. He looked over at Korrin again, that strange feeling returning. Korrin? All the way over there? Wasn't that dangerous?

At first the families gave them questioning looks if they walked close together in town, but they eventually accepted it, which was helped by the fact that the three were getting used to open space. Jade still stuck by Maru or Korrin's side, though Maru sometimes wondered if it was solely out of habit or if it had something to do with the way Jade was avoiding Trywn.

Trywn's surprise had yet to be revealed, by Jade, Trywn himself, or any knowledge parties, for two days. Two days Maru and Korrin had been hanging in wait, holding their breath to hear what everyone had been so worked up about, that had Jade quiet and Trywn cooped up. Neither Korrin nor Maru had pushed Jade, but they were dying. It wasn't quite devastating, but fairly crushing.

Maru gritted his teeth as he saw a familiar green head approach. The past two days Deti Ona had passed him by, never looking at him all the way, but sometimes halfway. She had always been a tease. Her green head grew closer, adorned with that flirtatious smile, the one that said, "I have exactly what you want, but you have to come get it", and Maru was not going to come get it. Thus, Maru and Jade had been sticking together a lot lately.

He kicked at the dirt, not even bothering to acknowledge Deti Ona's presence. For the first time, she stopped and stood there for a moment, then spoke. "Maru."

"Deti Ona."

"Why haven't you talked to me?"

"Why haven't _you_ talked to _me_?"

They met eyes. The air sizzled.

"Do you always spew bullshit, or did I commit some unforgivable sin that I deserve all this?" Deti Ona asked.

"It's not just you, I promise," he assurred her.

"So why haven't you talked to me? I though you wanted to know. It's been two days."

"I know how long it's been!" he snapped. She blinked at him, surprised, but obviously not surprised enough. He sighed and said, "I would speak with you, but you always do this." He stood up, flipped back his hair luxuriously, stuck out his chest, and walked with a wide swing to his hips and a smile on his lips. He broke his pose and sat down again.

"It disgusts me," he said.

"I do not," Deti Ona said, flushed. Maru looked at her, and the longer he did, the more angry she became. When it seemed she was about to punch him, he finally spoke.

"Alright. Fine. So what's going on?"

"Well, it already happened, so it's no use warning you anymore."

"You're kidding, right?" Maru growled. Deti Ona shrugged. She didn't quite look at him as he glared openly.

"You wouldn't care, anyway. You don't care about anyone, or anything, obviously. So I don't know why I'm wasting my time," she said to him. She still didn't quite look at him, but midway through her first sentence, he didn't quite look at her, either. She lingered for a moment more, then left.

Maru watched her go and felt partially sorry for her. This happened only for a moment, though, before he sighed and went to find his racket.

Today he would spar with someone, someone who presented a challenge enough that Maru would _want_ to beat the life out of them. Jade was too fragile, Korrin had disappeared from the porch during Maru's encounter with Deti Ona, the rest of the village preferred loving to fighting, and, well, there was Kris Ni, but he really didn't like her anyway. He entered the stables, where their weapons were tucked away, and saw a moving form brushing at one of the animals. His eyes stayed glued to the form as he pulled his racket out and flipped it once, twice, then he approached the person.

"Maru?" the sugar-sweet voice asked. Maru smirked.

* * *

She hummed the festival's tune to herself, walking along in the peace that she could never fully find out there in the big beyond. Jade found herself on walks a lot more lately, which was bad because she saw more people who gave her strange looks, but good because she was getting a good dose of thinking and breathing. She looked up at the sky and saw black clouds that were holding something in, full to the point that they would burst at any moment. She smiled a little at the knowledge that she could always run home if it rained. She wouldn't be smushed in a caravan with a slightly awkward Yuke and an obnoxious Selkie. Not that she hated either of them, the close proximity just drove them all crazy. 

Jade started toward the mountaintop, since it was nearby. It was a popular place for people on walks to go, though with the impending doom that was the weather, she had seen no one out and about but her. She tried not to think about the last time she had been on that mountain- was it weeks ago?- with a young man who she thought was the greatest blessing bestowed upon her. The slope beneath her began to steepen, and she huffed a little and crossed her arms. That image he had surely ruined for himself.

Jade was only halfway up the moutain when she turned around and walked back down again. The place reeked of memories of Trywn and her, playing, laughing, everything. That was the rock she hid behind and he could never find her. That was where he slipped, fell, and went unconscious one day, and she rushed home sobbing her eyes out because she thought he was dead. The memories thick in the air prevented her from going further, which was proven by the fact that, when she reached the base of the mountain, she could breathe again.

The first thought that came to her mind was to find someone who would walk with her. It was getting dangerous all alone out by herself, now that she was keenly aware of Trywn's existance again. She glanced to Korrin's house, but she saw shapes moving in the window of his kitchen. They were probably eating and, knowing their family meals were special, Jade didn't want to interrupt. There were plenty of other people in the village, friends, mentors, but she passed each of their houses by. She needed someone who was experienced in the field of bad moods, because this bad mood wasn't going away. So who else would she search for but Maru?

After awhile, in the general area of the village entrance, she heard something that sounded like the Selkie's tone. It sounded just close enough to be heard, from the direction of the abandoned Merchant's house. She immediately followed the sound till she turned a corner and saw Maru, a weapon brandished, and Trywn, his sword and shield up. After a blink, the two weapons were locked together, but not for long; Maru gave a push that sent Trywn flying. Jade covered her hand with her mouth and immediately knelt down.

"I said I haven't done _any_thing!" Maru said, blocking an attack.

"Then why is she being like this?! What have you _done_ to her?!" Trywn's voice cracked like a sob.

"You two have been marked since birth," Maru sneered, leaping to avoid a careless swipe of a sword. "Are you really that stupid, Clavat? Do you think I am?"

"Marked? No. But you _knew_ it would piss me off. You'll never let me be happy!"

Maru actually stopped to laugh. "You were marked! This is all a set-up, Clavat, don't you know? I bet your mummy had the ring in her drawer for years before you actually proposed!"

"_Stop laughing at me!_" Trywn cried, and lunged again.

Jade sat still in the bushes, the very air in her lungs freezing up with Maru's words. How did he know? How? She had never told anyone in her life, not that she could remember; heck, she only knew because she overheard a conversation in her living room when she was little. There was no way he could know. _No way._ And now Trywn knew, which was good and bad, reliving but complicating. Besides that, Trywn's words about Maru stuck in her brain, sadly, limply. To some degree, it was so true.

"Your little relationship was set up from the beginning," Maru taunted. "Have you ever wondered why there were so many playdates? The family support? Oh, yes, the Rancher's son and the Farmer's daughter, Clavats, together forever."

"We're friends! We've always been! I love her!" Trywn cried out, but Maru's words were biting deeply. Trywn's testimony left Jade momentarily stunned.

"I'm sure your parents never objected to that. Listen, you're living in a little racist town with little racist people. I could never touch her because of it!" It was only because of Maru's speed that he dodged the furious blow sent his direction. He tried to respond with a kick, but the Clavat had his shield poised to block it.

"So you're saying there _is_something going on?!" The Clavat accused.

"No!"

"Out there, you could-!"

And Jade had had enough.

* * *

The fat raindrops plopped onto Maru's sweat-drenched body. Trywn was panting, red-faced, and gripping his side. Maru stood a few feet away. 

"Had enough, Clavat?" he hissed, and Trywn threw down his weapon.

"Enough!" the boy shouted. "I've heard enough. You're a heartless bastard, you make sure everyone knows that, but why? Why do you do this? I just want to be happy!"

Maru scoffed, "How can you be happy when you're living a lie? This whole town is a lie. It convinces you that the whole world is like this, but I assure you, this place is twisted beyond repair!"

"Just because you hate it doesn't mean I have to," Trywn said darkly, then turned from the scene and stalked off.

The rain sunk into Maru's clothes. He looked up at the clouds, which were still as dark as ever, at Trywn's discarded weapon, and at his own blistered hands.

"Filthy scum," he muttered sharply, and he spat. He put away his weapon and tried to decipher the unease that rested on his shoulders. He couldn't listen to the dirt-digger; his words were all the product of the disillusionment that caged him. But a thought that sounded suspiciously like Trywn told him that perhaps he was a tad disillusioned, too.

Maru chuckled, dodging the thought. "Ha… I won." His chest puffed with pride, but it was weighed down by his soaking clothes and burdened heart. He put his racket away and wondered silently who he was fooling.

"Maru?" said a quiet, wavering voice. He looked up. Jade faced him, a hand to her chest.

"Yes?" he asked, but it came out like a stutter, which made him cringe. She didn't appear to notice.

"Could you walk with me?"

Maru stood, remembering his previous words: racists, never touch. He looked at her big, brown eyes, which said nothing about judgement or antagony or mistakes. They reminded him of other things, and so he said, "Yes."

They walked along the river, which was frenzied due to the downpour. Occasionally Maru's foot would sink into the mud, but they would move over a step, and it would be fine. They reached the bridge, and Jade stopped.

"I've gotta talk to you," she said. Maru felt the blob of his emotions screech and immediately start grabbing, clawing away at his insides.

"About what?"

"Trywn."

Maru slipped his hands into his pocket and looked at his feet. He wondered if she knew. "Hm."

"He... proposed to me the other day, you know."

"Yeah. Well. He told me."

"He did?" Jade asked, her eyebrows traveling up. Maru nodded, remembering how Trywn said something-or-other about it before they began fighting.

"Well... um," Jade stuttered, "Well. Tell me, please, how did you know about how we were set up? I thought I was the only one." She was facing him now, pleading.

Maru sighed. "You were listening?"

"Yeah."

Maru paused, trying to think of the best way to phrase his answer.

"I live in a Selkie family. We know a lot of things we shouldn't." Jade's face flushed.

"So, you've known all this time?"

"Yes."

They turned away from each other and looked out, across the bridge. Jade, arms wrapped around herself, laughed.

"What?" Maru asked.

"It's sorta a relief. All this time I thought I had this huge secret, but you knew." She laughed. "You of all people, knew!"

Maru smiled. "Yeah, I guess it is a little ironic, huh?"

She nodded and a silence settled over them again.

"Do you think we should go insi-" Maru began, but was interrupted.

"Maru, haven't you wondered why the rain doesn't just... dye our path blue?"

Maru, faltered, shrugged.

"I mean… the rain. It's blue. At least, as kids we always used the blue crayon. And, well, why doesn't it just make everything blue?"

"I've always thought rain was grey." Maru said, looking out at the indeed grey landscape. The crystal purified even the miasma in the rain as it fell. Maybe in the outside world, the rain really could be blue? No, it was purple probably. That sickly purple miasma color.

"That's a little depressing. But you've always been a little depressing," she teased. He felt his cheeks grow warm, and a few different emotions ticked in response, but he couldn't think of the right thing to say, so he didn't speak. They didn't look at each other, just out at the pouring rain.

"Why can't our rain be blue, Maru? Why can't it be like clear skies and butterflies and beautiful spring days?" she asked. He heard the tears in her voice. He opened his mouth, but she wasn't done.

"Why can't the rain make our dirt paths like blue cobblestones? Why can't we skip along them without fear of falling, why can't we just be happy and see pretty blue? Does it have to be this way?" He was quite sure she was crying now, as was she, and she turned to him with full eyes and rain running down her face and he was frozen by the sight, frozen by the tears, because people didn't cry around him. They bottled it up for another day, because crying was weak and they would get hit, but there she was, sobbing, about something as simple as the rain, but it wasn't the rain. She made a grand sniffle, then threw herself at him, burying her face in the soaking fur of his shirt, sobbing and sobbing.

Tentatively he put an arm on her back, the other slowly reaching up to give her a loose, awkward sort of hug. The rain poured on. She held him tighter. He felt his own words bubbling up inside his chest, filling the cavities in his body. It was shame, and pity, and sorrow, like the rain. There was so much he needed to say. Here she was, so needy, so helpless, and him, probably the same. But she was sobbing and he was drowning in everything he didn't know. This... this Clavatian thing that he genuinely disliked, that he had been out to get for so many years was there, clinging onto him in a moment that was so private he couldn't bear to think if anyone was watching.

Suddenly she jerked away from him, several feet back, her tear-stained face squiggling with different emotions.

"S-sorry!" she said, then covered her mouth and spoke softly. "I'm sorry. If someone saw, they'd take it... wrong... You said that." She turned away, wiping her eyes fiercely with the back of her hands, gritting her teeth in frustration. Maru wondered if she realized that perhaps_he_ would take it wrong, though he hadn't.

"I, I just needed someone who knew what I was talking about," Jade explained, looking at him, then down at her hands, which were locked within themselves. "And, well, I know your family isn't perfect, and that you've moved a lot and stuff, so I figured if anyone knew how to give a hug, it would be you." And she smiled at him.

"Was I okay?" he asked; it was the only thing he could think to ask. With all the things inside him, that was it.

"Yeah. It was good enough." She smiled again.

"Alright. Uh, we still have some things to work out, and the festival is tonight. So I suppose I'll be going." Maru shuffled his feet.

Jade nodded and began to turn when Maru finally spoke.

"Jade?" he said, then cleared his throat.

"Yes, Maru?" She looked at him, and he, her.

"Try to, er, be happier... I guess. Korrin's about to die." She smiled widely at him, nodded, and left.

He looked out at the rain again, which suddenly made no sense, and brought his arms up to hug himself.

* * *

_Duh dup duh duh duh duhdeeduhdoodee… Trywn's brother played a lyre-like instrument, Korrin's older played an accordion, Kris Ni's mother played a flute, and Detiona's older sister played a tambourine._

Or at least they were going to. Jade broke out of her daydream when the elder handed her a torch.

"I will light the flame," he explained as he handed them out. After lighting them with a nearby piece of flint, the three held them high above their heads, waiting. Roland began to read, his voice resounding throughout the square as the sun set and families began gathering 'round. Even Maru's family was their, in their dancing clothes.

"…this Crystal Blessing is depended on by many and is appreciated greatly. Please, O Yevon, grant us your glory and protect our culture!"

A flash of blue light. Jade squinted, but the blue soaked into her anyway, stirring her numbed and sunken sense of self. She smiled up at the crystal like it was a dear old friend.

They extinguished the torches as the ceremony required, and Roland smiled.

"Let the celebrations… begin!"

The crowd cheered and the musicians stepped forward. As soon as the tune began their families rushed to the area. Jade was greeted by a giant, smushing hug, and her mother began whispering sweet words in her ear.

"Oh, I'm so proud of you, dearest." Jade nodded against her mother's warm shoulder. They said a little more, then Jade walked to Korrin and Maru, ready to dance.

Korrin had his arms folded, speaking to his family. Maru looked on, amused.

"What's happening?" Jade said from the corner of her mouth. Maru chuckled.

"Apparently Yuke-boy here doesn't like to dance."

Korrin clenched an angry fist. "No, I don't remember!"

"I get this feeling you're lying," his father said, wagging a finger at him. "It's not that embarrassing. It's Yukish culture! Remember back in Shella?"

"I don't want to remember back in Shella," Korrin muttered, crossing his arms. "Just leave it, dad. I don't wanna dance."

"But I wanna see your dance!" Jade piped out. Korrin and his father both turned their heads to stare.

"Oh... hi, Jade," Korrin said.

"See? Even she wants to see it. Why don't you just do it, we all will too!" his father encouraged. Korrin sat still for a long moment, then got up. Jade jumped up and down and clapped her hands. The trio lined up where they were supposed to be and began to dance.

Jade loved to dance. She had been waiting for a chance to dance in front of everyone since she was a little girl. She absolutely adored it (of course, just because she enjoyed it didn't necessarily mean she danced well). Korrin danced, reluctantly at first, but, after seeing Jade, loosened up a great deal. Maru danced and flipped and turned, showing off to the best of his ability. When Jade caught sight of this, Maru's fate was sealed.

"Oh, my gosh," she squealed, stopping her own movements to stare. Maru danced on.

"Oh, my GOSH," she said a little louder. He didn't seem to notice.

"OH MY GOSH MARU THAT IS SO COOL," she yelled, and he finally stopped, giving her a flat look.

"What."

"You just flipped. Just... off the ground."

"Uh... yes."

"Could you teach me?" she asked with stars in her eyes.

Maru looked at her. Private time with her, yet another breach of protocol. But the stars were awfully shiny...

"No."

"But! Maru!" She fell to her knees, hands clasped in the air above her.

"No," he repeated.

"I'll pay you!"

"Deal."

She went back to dancing, again the epitome of "hakuna matata".

"Maru, you're staring," someone teased beside him. Maru looked around to shoot back at the offending source, but blinked when he couldn't find one.

"Down here,"said the voice, and Maru froze. He looked down, dearly regretting even moving.

"Lilty," he said, and Kris Ni scowled.

"Whaddya think I am, a Clavat? Why are you staring at Jade that way?" Kris Ni had her hands on her little hips, a scowl on her brow and a frown on her face.

"What way?" he asked coolly.

"With your mouth in that thin, irritated line. What's wrong with you?" the Lilty asked, her finger poking at his calf. Maru held back a scowl.

"It's your imagination," he assured her, then turned his back, readying himself to dance.

"You can't get away with it that easily," she promised to his turned back. He stuck his nose up in the air with a slight 'humph' and began his twists and flips again.

The Lilty gave a sidelong glance to Jade, who was beaming, and another to the proud Selkie in front of her. She looked at Trywn, who lingered in the shadows, and retreated herself.


End file.
